Globalization has increased steadily and this has made the distinction between American cars and foreign cars. In the US market, Asian and European brands are making their presence felt. American automakers, on the other hand, are extending their reach to other regions of the world.

With these things happening, it is difficult to know which vehicle is really American. This attribute plays an important role for American car buyers who are loyal to local brands such as Chevrolet, Ford, and Chrysler. However, the dividing line between foreign and American cars has blurred due to globalization.

Asian and European automakers are producing their vehicles in the United States. On the other hand, American automakers produce their vehicles in other parts of the world. These would then be shipped back to the United States to be sold.

To add to the confusion, there are American-brand vehicles produced in the United States but owned by a foreign company, as in the case of Dodge that is owned by Germany-based DaimlerChrysler AG.

To help patriotic Americans discover which cars on the market are really American, USA Today, the American newspaper with the widest circulation, called “which cars are really American.” USA Today ranked vehicles for the 2007 model year based on the percentage of US or Canadian content, depending on where they are produced, and of course brand name, among others.

Topping the list of the most American cars are four models from Ford Motor Company. The Ford Edge, Econoline, Expedition and Lincoln MKX earned the highest percentage rating of 95 percent. The Ford Crown Victoria earned a 90 percent rating along with other models, including the Ford F-150, the Mercury Grand Marquis, the Chevrolet Impala and Silverado, and the GMC Sierra.

The list shows that the market does not offer an all-American car, which means that globalization is doing its job and even an EBC platform cannot stop it.

Another car that scored 85 or higher percent came from various Big Three brands. The Cadillac DTS was rated 87 percent American by USA Today. Vehicles that received 86 percent ratings are Buick Rainer, Chevrolet Express Savana, Chevrolet Malibu, Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy / XL, GMC Savana, Hummer H3, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura. All of these models are produced in the United States.

Models that scored 85 percent from USA Today are the Dodge Viper, Ford Freestyle, Lincoln Mark LT, Lincoln Town Car, Buick Lucerne, Cadillac XLR, Chevrolet Corvette, Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon and the Saturn Ion.

With more and more foreign automakers building facilities in the United States and US automakers setting up plants in different countries, the distinction between an American car and a foreign one will become even more blurred. For some Americans, this poses a serious problem when choosing a new car to buy.