For decades, Ford and General Motors have been symbols of American industry, blue-collar pride, and heartland grit. From the rugged Ford F-150 to the all-American Chevy, the Detroit Big Three — Ford, GM, and Chrysler (now part of Stellantis) — have dominated the auto market with vehicles built and sold across the United States. The Ford F-150 is a cultural symbol.
For many, Detroit remains the heartland of the U.S. auto industry, a perception reinforced by billions of dollars in recent investments aimed at conquering the electric and autonomous vehicle markets. But a new ranking calls that entire identity into question.
The annual American-Made Index from Cars.com, now in its 20th year, was just released, and it paints a startling picture. The list, which ranks vehicles based on factors like U.S. factory jobs, manufacturing plants, and the percentage of domestic parts, reveals how “American” a car truly is. And this year, the results are a PR nightmare for the old guard.
In a top 20 list dominated by Tesla, the legacy American brands are almost nowhere to be found. GM managed to place just one vehicle, the Chevy Colorado pickup, at a lowly number 19. Ford has no models in the top 20 at all. Meanwhile, every single Tesla model—except the Cybertruck—made the list, with the Model 3 taking the top spot. Even Stellantis saved face with the Jeep Gladiator and Wrangler, both assembled in Toledo, Ohio. Meanwhile, Japanese and Korean automakers—including Honda, Toyota, Nissan, and Kia—also placed strongly, with several models assembled in American plants.
This ranking lands at a politically charged time. President Donald J. Trump has launched a new trade war, recently imposing a 25% tariff on all imported cars that went into effect on April 3. The administration has championed an “America First” manufacturing philosophy, yet the country’s most iconic automakers are building cars that are, by this metric, less American than their foreign competitors.
When contacted by Gizmodo, both GM and Ford deflected, choosing to highlight their investments and job creation numbers rather than address their poor showing in the ranking.
“We’ve added approximately 13,000 jobs in the US since 2008,” a Ford spokesperson said, noting that the company employs more hourly autoworkers than anyone else in the U.S. “80% of the vehicles we sell in the U.S are assembled here.”
GM pointed to a recent announcement promising a $4 billion investment in its domestic plants. “We’ve been committed to American manufacturing and are expanding production in the US,” a spokesperson told Gizmodo.
To be fair, both companies are massive U.S. employers. At the end of 2024, GM employed 90,000 people in the country (56% of its global workforce), while Ford employed nearly 89,000 (52% of its total). GM is still the largest automaker in the U.S. by market share.
But Cars.com’s criteria are about more than just assembly. It scrutinizes the origins of engines and transmissions and the percentage of U.S. and Canadian parts. The website warns that “just because a model may be made in a U.S. assembly plant doesn’t necessarily mean it’s exclusively made here.”
For companies that have built their brands on a foundation of American identity, the fact that their vehicles don’t even crack the top 15 is a terrible look. It suggests that in the globalized auto industry, the “American-made” label is far more complicated than it seems.
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