Nice ride home today, got to see and American flag on the back of a Toyota and a OBAMA sticker on the other side. AHHHHHHH Make it stop.

So your problem is that the Japanese home market is "closed" to US manufacturers? Have you ever been to Japan? (I have.) There's simply no room for American sized cars. And even if you tried to sell small American cars there, the market is tiny compared to the US. And, the safety regulations are different, so major changes would have to be made to sell US cars there. So, low volume, major engineering changes, plus shipping costs = no profit. Your point?

Can you read? They close their market so you can't sell there no matter what you have, it is a huge market where you can't sell cars if you aren't from there. You just described Europe as well, guess what GM and Ford have been selling there for decades and with times of great success. You design the cars for the market. There laws don't keep out foreigners specifically. When you have a closed market you can recover your development costs and sell elsewhere for lower prices, beating the local guys. Toss a huge currency advantage in like they had and the result became academic.

Why is this so hard, why do you want to defend the Japanese?

I get it not everyone understands this industry, it is incredibly complex, global, and regulated. But if you have next to no knowldedge of it, little global busniess acumen, and maybe just little sense period why keep posting crap like you have a clue? Oh yeah, it's the internet, we're all experts.

What is your job, let me tell you about your industry? You a pilot, well I've rode in a plane so let me tell you about building a plane cuz I've been in one. Your in construction, let me tell you what you're doing wrong, I swung a hammer once. That's how these auto discussions go anyways, everyone's an expert

More Buick sedans are sold in China than the USA. It's the hot item there.

I've spent 36 years in manufacturing - in a company with factories all over the world. Yea, I'm an idiot.

And before you lunge, let me just say that some practices by American companies overseas would make your hair stand on end.

Read every post here, there is no justification for buying foreign, bottom line...u live in America buy American I've owned nothing but Chevys all my life and would never buy anything else my dad bought a Toyota and I didn't talk to him for almost a year cause the argument over it and now a short time later he regrets it and not cause the argument

China is GM's biggest market, or was.

I can't tell you how much time I spent over there working on the SGM products.

Don't forget GM owns the old Korean Daewoo (GmDat), Holden in Australia, Opel/ vectra in Europe,,, just to name a few.

RJ is right, it's a complex global business.

Hey Ienstein, ever wonder why those forign manufactures are now so focused on building vehicles in the US? Same reason Japan was in the late 80's. Has alot to do with who owns US debt and the US banking industry. Step back and look at the larger picture.

Thank you and nice car.

4bus, I am not a UAW member and have no stake in the big 3. I do however have a very opinionated view of of US owned and produced products. Their is no doubt the big 3 struggled in the 70's, and mid 80's by their own hand. The late 80's to mid 90's they realized their internal issues and tried to stem the tide. Didnt matter, Japan owned the majority of US forign owned debt and put the hammer down to protect Honda and Toyota. Most IGNORENT consumers consider this minutia, but it was truly a major influence in products delivered to the market. If a manufacturer could spend 20% more on engineering and 10% more on materials due to illegal trade practices ( cyrrency minipultion) is that truly free trade? Blame the UAW, the CEO's ( thats where my blame goes) EPA, US greed what ever the major factor is still illegal trade practices. Look at the excuses Toyota and Honda are using today for lack luster profits. # 1 reason is currency valuations. Stop being so naive. 15 to 30 years ago alot of consumers claimed that the forigne manufactures provide higher quilty vehicles and pricing was similar to inferior US products. Maybe 30 years ago, but not since. Honda and Toyota have taken a beating in quality and longevety ratings in the last 10 years. European manufactures havent had decent quality ratings in 30 years. 30 years ago was when they started imitating US manufactures with larger cars with larger engines with big HP. The automotive industry didnt start 10 years ago when you started paying attention to it.