There’s an old saying that used to go something like this: America created the automobile, and the automobile created America.
That’s an overstatement and a generalization, of course, but that’s always the case with old sayings. But there is a bit of truth to it.
The first automobile, Benz Patent-Motorwagen, was actually made in Germany in 1885. But automobiles started to become not just popular, but staples of life, in the 20th century, and in many ways the very concept of cars was created and popularized by American manufacturers such as Ford and Chevrolet.
The popularity of automobiles, and the creation of the highway system and, eventually, the creation of the suburbs and downtown work areas, helped drive the Post-War boom in prosperity and helped create the modern American economy.
Since the 1980s, however, more and more automobiles are made, either in part or completely, abroad. Making the idea of an authentically American automobile a much rarer thing.
But Tesla (TSLA) and its CEO Elon Musk have helped to revitalize the idea of the American car while also helping to popularize the idea of electric vehicles. And the company’s efforts have once again been recognized by a new list from Cars.Com
The Top Made-In-America Vehicles
Every year Cars.com surveys the automobile industry, and releases a list of the top American-made cars.
The list study takes into account three factors:
- Manufacturing location of the vehicle
- Manufacturing location of parts
- American jobs created by its production
Vehicles that use components from Canada are included, but the United States assembly of engines and transmissions get a heavier weighting to compensate for this.
And once again, Tesla has dominated this list, with Cars.com editor-in-chief Jenni Newman saying “Tesla is the only major automaker to claim 100% domestic production for all cars it sells in the U.S., well above the industry’s roughly 52% average.”
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
What Tesla Vehicles Made The Made-In-America List?
According to Cars.com’s American-Made Index report, these are the top ten most American cars you can buy right now:
1. Tesla Model Y
2. Tesla Model 3
3. Lincoln Corsair
4. Honda Passport
5. Tesla Model X
6. Tesla Model S
7. Jeep Cherokee
8. Honda Ridgeline
9. Honda Odyssey
10. Honda Pilot
Last year the Tesla Model 3 held the title, but the Tesla Model Y came out on top this time. Cars.com notes that Lucid and Rivian may be able to overcome Tesla one day once they "reach their full production potential.”
In case you are curious, here are the top 10 auto manufacturers, ranked by the percentage of parts in a car that were made in the USA, per Cars.com.
Tesla Inc. (Tesla): 100.0%
Stellantis NV (Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati, Ram): 72.3%
Ford Motor Co. (Ford, Lincoln): 70.8%
Honda Motor Co. Ltd. (Acura, Honda): 69.4%
Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance (Infiniti, Mitsubishi, Nissan): 56.0%
General Motors Co. (Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC): 55.8%
Subaru Corp. (Subaru): 54.7%
BMW AG (BMW, Mini, Rolls-Royce): 52.8%
Toyota Motor Corp. (Lexus, Toyota): 47.5%
Mercedes-Benz AG (Mercedes-Benz): 41.0%
