Top Ten 2011 "American-Sourced" Content Cars

	2011 NorthAmerican-Sourced Content
1.	Dodge Avenger	83%
2.	Chrysler 200	81%
3.	Toyota Camry	80%
	Toyota Avalon	80%
	Honda Accord	80%
4.	Chevrolet Impala	77%
5.	Cadillac CTS	76%
	Buick Lucerne	76%
6.	Chevrolet Malibu	75%
	Chevrolet Corvette	75%
	Lincoln Town Car	75%
	Acura TL	75%
7.	Dodge Caliber	73%
	Chrysler 300	73%
8.	Dodge Charger	70%
	Dodge Challenger	70%
	Honda Civic	70%
9.	Chevrolet Camaro	66%
10.	Toyota Matrix	65%
	Cadillac STS	65%
	Cadillac CTS	65%
	Ford Taurus	65%
	Ford Mustang	65%

Motor Trend -- "When “Made in America” is the most important consideration in purchasing a new car, consumers would be wise to head to a Dodge dealership and test drive an Avenger. That sedan, according to a 2011 report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, has 83 percent of its parts content from the U.S. and Canada.

Above, we’ve compiled a list of the top cars with the most North American parts content list below comes from data required of automakers by law thanks to the American Automobile Labeling Act."

MP: When Cars.com compiles its list of "American-made" vehicles, it doesn't include parts from Canada as "domestic content," and the composition of the top ten is much different.  Last year, the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord took the top two places on Cars.com Top Ten 2010 domestic-parts content rankings, and together the two Japanese automakers captured five of the top 10 places.   

Even with this ranking that includes Canadian parts, it's interesting that the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord are far "more American" (80% domestic content) than American icons like the Ford Mustang, Cadillac STS and Cadillac CTS (only 65% domestic content). 

This does some serious damage to the protectionist, "Buy American" philosophy that motivates Americans to buy American-made products under the illusion that if you "buy American" products like Ford Mustangs your dollars will "stay in the country," and if you buy foreign-made products, or even products made in America by foreign automakers like Toyota or Honda, your dollars will "leave the country" for Japan.  

And if U.S. companies like Ford or GM finds it in their best economic interest to purchase 35% of their parts for Mustangs and Cadillacs from outside the U.S. and Canada, you should feel no guilt if you spend 35% of your money on products produced in China, Mexico or Brazil. 

HT: Jody Church