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["Thomas C. Meggs" <tom AT plik.net>]

Steven Champeon wrote:
> While I don't know much about the economics of front wheel drive, I will
> say this - when I was an underemployed liberal arts graduate working off
> my credit debt back in 1992-3, I worked for a German company called
> Lemforder in Brewer, Maine. We used a French injection molding machine
> to coat with plastic the shaft splines of sheering shaft components
> assembled from Brazilian parts, using Venezualan light oil, plastic
> universal joint seats from Spain, universal joints from Mexico, bearings
> from the US, and so on, to build steering shaft components. Like this
> one:

>  http://hesketh.com/schampeo/gifs/steering.gif

Down with gif, up with png. ;)

> The components were sent on to a plant in Indianapolis, where they were
> assembled into steering shafts that were packed in grease and sent to
> either France, to be assembled by Belgian workers, or Belgium, to be
> assembled by French workers. I forget. The shaft components we made went
> into Ford Taurus, Mercury Topaz, and another Ford that was only sold in
> the UK.

> I remember being pretty impressed at how global everything was. So much
> for "America's car", though.

Yeah, and for the brand of a car meaning that it was manufactured in its 
entirety by that company. Such as Mazda owned by Ford which sells 
pickups made by Nissan. Or the Ford Festiva which is made by Kia. Or the 
Chevrolet (previously Geo but still owned by Chevrolet) Prism which is 
made at the same factory as the Toyota Corolla.

Regards,
Tom