Back in 1982, Honda did something pretty bold: they opened their first American manufacturing plant. And while they weren't the first foreign automaker to attempt to transplant their manufacturing, they were the first to do so successfully. Today, nearly half of all the vehicles sold to American drivers are built by foreign companies right here on our soil!

These are cars that are some of the country's bestsellers - we're talking about models like the Honda Accord, the Avalon, and even the Altima. All three engineered by Japanese companies. All three built stateside. Asian companies aren't the only ones making the switch - VW recently successfully transplanted production of the Passat to Tennessee. Meanwhile, many of the important parts that help these vehicles run so well are also manufactured in the U.S., including engines and transmissions.

The point really is though: we're really proud to say the Honda jumpstarted the trend. Auto consultant John Voorhorst explains, "Once (Honda) had the trial by fire and came through, clearly, it emboldened others. It was the opening of the floodgates."¹ He goes on to remark that when foreign companies saw that you could transplant manufacturing without floundering, they wanted a piece of the pie, too.

That said, when you stop by the Scholfield Honda Showroom, you'll find quite a few American-made cars. Including the Accord and the recently redesigned Honda CR-V, both built in the original Marysville plant in Ohio. In fact, 80 percent of the Honda models sold in the United States are built in the United States.

Pretty cool, don't you think? Help us celebrate this milestone! Stop by and see us at 7017 E Kellogg Dr Wichita, KS 67207 to take any of our currently available new Honda models for a spin. Simply contact us to let us know which of our models you're interested in and arrange a time to meet with a member of our team to learn more!

Source:¹http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/story/2012-03-26/honda-transplant-car-plants/53955900/1