Diary of a Wedding Guest: Part 5 - Motor City USA

As we entered the outskirts of Detroit, it became very apparent why the city has earned the name "Motor City USA". Even in these tough economic times, Detroit is a city in which the car is king. Not just any car. The American car.

American cars have gotten a bad rap concerning quality. Yes, there was a time when the Big Three didn't care about quality because they dominated the market and had nothing to fear from their foreign competitors, but that quickly changed. And although the Big Three may have been slow to react, they are now producing cars of equal quality to their foreign counterparts.

Maybe it's because everyone who lives in the Detroit area is connected to the Big Three in one way or another, but the city has no problems showing their pride for the American car industry and the American manufacturing worker. In Detroit, American automobiles outnumber foreign cars by at least a 3:1 margin. No where else in America, can that be said. At one point, I counted nine American automobiles before I found the first foreign car. Ford seemed to have the slight advantage, but it may have been because of the area we were in. We were closest to Dearborn, which is the headquarters for Ford.

It was nice to see the pride in American made goods. It made you proud to be an American. And I was glad that we were driving an American car. Unfortunately, when we returned home, we would be returning to our foreign automobiles. For now, I will keep my Honda and Lori will keep her Subaru, both made in America with American workers and American made parts. I will consider a Ford in the future, but I am done with Chrysler. I will never own another after having owned several in the past. The jury is still out on GM. I may or may not seriously consider a GM vehicle in the future.