GM Lambda crossovers are the most American Made according to new index
Fri, 12 Apr 2013
There are plenty of reasons to appreciate the Chevrolet Traverse, Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia, but it seems that these crossovers have what it takes to wear the title of America's most American vehicle. And who better to determine this than Washington, DC-based American University? Frank DuBois, an associate professor at this university's Kogod School of Business, has come up with a new model for determining which cars have the highest content of US-sourced labor and parts, and he named the General Motors Lambda-platform triplets as the most "American made."
Digging a little deeper than Cars.com did in naming the Toyota Camry at the top of its American-Made Index last year, the Kogod list factors in profit margin (where the automaker is headquartered), research and development, and information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration American Automobile Labeling Act (AALA). Each vehicle was given a percentage score based on seven criteria, and the Traverse, Enclave and Acadia had the top Index Score of 88.5 out of 100.
Unlike the Cars.com top 10 list that had five "import" cars, the university's top 10 (which actually consists of 34 vehicles) only has one, the tenth-place Toyota Avalon. Oddly enough, the six-way tie for tenth place also included the Buick Regal, which was given a full score for research and development despite being derived from a European-designed Opel. Head on over to the Kogod website to see the full list of vehicles on the American Auto Index, and let us know what you think in the comments below.
By Jeffrey N. Ross