Are These Really Imports??

[wpayne]

Now, in magazines and what not they are constantly calling these cars imports. Are they really? Yeah, the Manufactuer is foreign but they are based in American also. The cars are built to American standards here in America. I can understand if it's a Japanese made one from Japan but if the car wasn't really brought in from another country, how can it be called an import?

Opinions please...

[negular]

Maybe its because they originated somewhere else... &nbsp;<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/eh.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':eh:'>

[HippoSleek]

uh - my car was made in Yokohama.

[thelinja]

The reason they are called "imports" is because hondas, nissans, mazdas, etc. are produced by japanese owned companies with assemebly plants all over the world. It would be cheaper in the long run for the Japenese to build plants here in the US and produce them here than to make them in Japan and ship millions of cars to other nations. It may also be because since the companies are owned by Japan, the US doesn't get the consumption expenditures that it would for the purchases of american made "domestic" cars. So, I guess technically they aren't really "imports." My guess is that at one point, Japan didn't have plants in the US so it had to ship cars across the ocean. They were then called imports and the name just stuck.
Hipposleek, what car do you have?

[logo20]

I think my car was built in japan too, it has the vehicle identification plate in japanese, or do all imports have that plate in japanese? &nbsp;I never thought about that. &nbsp; <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/dozingoff.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>

[LanceS13]

well, they aren't exactly domestic either...so what else are you gonna call 'em?

[Dark]

Not entirely sure about this but the reason why Japanese companies have plants here is because the U.S placed heavy taxes on cars imported from Japan. Forcing manufacturers to move to the U.S. So in the old days they used to be imported but now they are assembled in America. At least most of them are.

[SimpleS14]

I would call them Americanized Imports...because the parts and design (for most of them) come from Japan. &nbsp;the cars are forced to deal with the borning USDM standards and some of them are assemblied(sp) in the U.S.

Having a plant in the US saves money and increases production time and numbers for a particular(sp) car. &nbsp;My 95 has tags all over saying "made in Japan" and &nbsp;I have Japanese writing on my vin plate and various parts.

Sometimes &nbsp;I wish the S14 came with the SR20DET stock in the U.S. &nbsp;<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/huh.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':huh:'> &nbsp; But if it did that would be the fall of the pony cars.

[nas240man]

I took my little brother to the toyota plant in kentucky not that long ago, i was shocked to learn that 95% of the material used to make the cars there are from american owned and operated companies, i was also shocked to learn that there is a 2 year waiting list just to be employed there.. <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':0'> &nbsp;point being, japanese design being put together with american parts <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''> not sure about the other japanese car companies, but i'm sure its similar numbers

[240 2NR]

Most cars are built utilizing grand block type assembly where most of the sytems are subcontracted to other companies and dilivered to the assmebly plant already finished, requiring a simple plug in type intall. &nbsp;So intead of attaching the steering wheel to the dash, and popping in vents and uphulstering it, it already comes as a finished piece, that only needs a home in your new horseless carriage.

[GotDriftS14]

my car was made in yokohama too.

[240racer]

they are pretty much calling saturns, caveliers, sunfires, focuses, and all those piles of garbage imports now too. This probably isn't far off since most of the parts are made overseas anyway. I just like driving a nissan or toyota or something that uses all metric fasteners instead of mixing them. that is the stupidest thing I have ever seen metric and american fasteners on the same part, let alone the same car

I just wanted to add that I like the Ford Focus, but maybe that's because I picture Colin McRae driving one and they were introduced in Europe first. &nbsp;I just needed to add it to the list

[drift freaq]

Ok heres the gig.
HOnda and the sub label Acura has major production facilities in the U.S. I believe its Youngstown Ohio.
Toyota has Productions facilities in the U.S. in Kentucky and a jointly owned plant in Fremont California.
Nissan has a plant in smyrna Tenn. the Nissan plant in produces mostly trucks because those are more expensive to ship over . They also produce Sentra's there.
They also have a engine manufacturing plant in Mexico the KA24e that came in Hardbody trucks was manufactured there vs the KA24e and De which came in our cars where manufactured in Japan. Hence anybody calling a 240sx engine a truck engine needs to get there facts straight .
Differently tuned engine based on the same design built in a different factory.
Our 240's were all built in Japan they qualify as Imports one hundred percent,
does that clear up the question a bit? <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''> &nbsp;<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>