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None from GM, or Chrysler, and only the Fusion from Ford.
Forgetting anything else, at a minimum, you need to add the CTS and Corvette to this list. They are easily the first two that rise to the top as purely American, world class cars.
I'm with Cadillac on the CTS models, especially the -V's. The Corvette is a nice enough sports car, and can compete with many in the world wide sports car segment, but i think they're a tad behind in terms of quality materials and fit and finish ... but the C6 was a great improvement over the hard plastics of the C5.
The GTO was a pretty nice car, but it's not really American. Same was true of the Pontiac G8 which had it's Australian roots too. I think the new Buick's are pretty nice looking vehicles as well, and they would be on par with some of their European counterparts from which they hail and compete overseas.
The Ford Fusion is a pretty good family hauler, and the new Taurus is nice too...albeit it's HUGE! The Fiesta is a European car, but unfortunately it's not up to the standards of some of the others. Interior material selection was god awful, and felt as cheap as a 1980's cavalier (maybe cheaper)...I'm sure it's electronic gizzmo's are great, but it's not on par with the VW Polo, and especially no the Golf series of vehicles.
I've never had the opportunity to drive one of the new Chrysler's (Save a newer convertible sebring) but I'm sure the 300 is still a very capable sedan...and with it, it's less classy and more rambunctious cousin the Charger.
The irony is that at least in Europe Ford and GM are rather well thought of and competitive car companies. Both brands are also entirely global, so it is easy to pick out vehicles that are huge sales successes in foreign markets. I guess the point being, what are we allowed to consider for this discussion? Is it only models sold in North America? Models solely designed, built and sold here? Basically you really need to quantify "world class".
For example, the Ford Fiesta has long been one of the most highly respected and well selling models in Europe since the 1970's. The Ford Focus is another world car that is highly thought of overseas. The Chevy Cruze is a true world car and garnered tons of praise. Then we get into more niche models, things like the Opel Insignia (sold in US as the Buick Regal) is a very well respected and sought after vehicle in Europe. The Holden Commodore is a long respected vehicle built in Australia, but exported to many other markets, in the US it was the Pontiac G8.
If I was going to narrow it down to just what cars (exluding SUVs, minivans and trucks) we have here, this would be my list:
The 300 is just a reskinned previous generation mercedes e-class, Ford Fiesta, Focus and new Fusion were designed entirely by ford europe. The CTS and Cruze were panned by critics in the UK.
The only american cars that got a good reception in Europe were the Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee back in the early 90s.
The 300 is just a reskinned previous generation mercedes e-class, Ford Fiesta, Focus and new Fusion were designed entirely by ford europe. The CTS and Cruze were panned by critics in the UK.
The only american cars that got a good reception in Europe were the Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee back in the early 90s.
The following parts are shared between the 300 and the W210 E-class: rear suspension, front seat frames, wiring harness, steering column, the original 5-speed auto and a version of 4-MATIC. It also used the W220 S-class front suspension. Outside of that, which is certainly a decent number of hard parts, particularly the suspension, they are unique and I don't think that list qualifies as a "re-skin".
The Fiesta and current Focus were both Ford of Europe designs. However, like I said earlier, Ford of Europe is still Ford, just as Opel and Vauzhall, Holden, et. al. are still GM. I have a hard time saying there is a real difference there.
The Fusion in the states that gets so much praise is different from the Fusion in Europe. The Euro Fusion is on a stretched version of the Fiesta platform. The US Fusion was a fresh design on Ford's CD3 platform, which they developed with Mazda while Ford owned a controlling stake in Mazda.
The Cruze was panned by critics in the UK, but is widely loved in Asia and the Pacific rim, where it is a wildly succesful car. The CTS may have gotten lampooned in general, but James May left quite a few of his unborn children on the front seat of the new CTS-V he drove in America during a Top Gear episode; where he lamented that it "wasn't a proper luxury car, but was the greatest sports sedan in the world". The same one where Clarkson universally praised the Corvette ZR-1....
Quote:
"This is made by two fat blokes in Kentucky." "I'm starting to like this Corvette...it isn't the power, it's the surprise of the power. When you're driving a Ferrari Enzo, you're expecting it. This though, it's quiet, it's comfortable, it's beautifully air-conditioned...so you're simply not ready for the savagery when you put your foot down. I've got a heads-up display with your lateral G...and the best stereo in the world...!" "Man, this is great. " "How can a car as docile as this one be as exciting when the road gets this twisty." "A proper manual gearbox." "Are you listening Ferrari? Well done fat man from Kentucky...this...is...a.masterpiece!"
A showed I just watch on CNBC in which Frod executes admitted that prior to 2006 they released less than world quaity vehicle.Many said the culture was such that it took a new CEO from Boeing to make them admit it even tho they themselves knew it . So no ;they haven't beeen making world calls vehicles for a decade by the excutive statements.They basically did just what the american peopel thought and now they have to deal with the years of cutomers who left.Not going to take a shorttime after that. They say their one big advanages is that people are more willig to trust them than companies who took the bailouts because they ran their business into the ground to a higher degree.
Oh going outside the big three you have to add Tesla. I would add the Falcon as well, but that is a supercar.
I am not sure what is meant by world class. Is the civic "world class"? It is just a yawn car yawn. If world class means used all over the world, I see more suburbans being used all over the place than any other single vehicle. BUt then My world travels are limited to what it shwon ont he news, one visit to England and several to Canada and Mexico.
It's just a fashionable term used by the chattering class and the hucksters that sell them stuff; world class cars, world class cities, world class vacuum cleaners, world class hamburgers.....it goes on and on.
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