Which Car Is American and Which Is Imported?

AUTO

By: Robin Tyler

7 Min Quiz

Image: Pixabay / gusaap

About This Quiz

Although we have Europe, and Germany, in particular, to thank for motor cars, there is no denying the part that the United States has played in the motor industry over the years. Just think of the contributions the likes of Henry Ford, William C. Durant, Ransom E. Olds, the Dodge Brothers and many more made to the development of the motoring industry. 

They helped to mold the motoring industry into the entity we know today. And in America, that industry produces many cars, trucks, SUVs and other kinds of vehicles that we see on the roads around every day. In recent decades, however, these American cars have been joined by a new breed of invaders. 

In fact, many of the top-selling cars in America today are not produced in the country at all but are imported. This includes models from Japanese automakers Toyota and Nissan as well another Asian country, South Korea just to name a few examples. And just like their American counterparts, they market a range of different models including sedans, crossovers, SUVs and even trucks.

So the question is, can you tell if a vehicle is produced in America or if it is an import? Bear in mind, this quiz will not only feature modern cars, as cars have been imported into the States since the 1950s.

Let's see how knowledgeable you are!

In 2014, this vehicle was given a nickname not seen in motoring since the 1970s. Is it American or imported?

Produced for the first time in 2014, the Chevrolet C7 Corvette is the first to use the Stingray name since the 1970s. Powered by a 6.1-liter small block V8, this Corvette pushes out 450 brake horsepower.

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This vehicle is especially built for trackdays! Light and fast, is it American or imported?

Built for the track, the Ariel Atom a lightweight open cockpit vehicle with blistering performance figures. And if you want one in the United States, you're going to have to import one.

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Can you tell us if this car is imported or a model made in America?

Based on the Dodge Durango, the Chrysler Aspen was launched in 2007. Sales of the Aspen were very poor and Chrysler quickly dropped the model after 2009.

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Here we have a two-seat roadster with a 700 cc engine from the 1990s. American or imported?

Built between 1991 and 1996, the Honda Beat was designed by legendary Italian design company Pininfarina. This two-seat roadster was particularly small and received its power from a 700 cc engine coupled to a 5-speed manual gearbox.

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Do you think this performance truck is made in America or imported to America?

What happens when you combine a pickup with a 4.3-liter turbocharged V-6? A GMC Syclone, that's what. With its all-wheel drive, the Syclone was faster than many sports cars of the time and easily raced to 60mph from a standing start in under 5 seconds.

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Do you think the vehicle in this image is made in America or imported?

Early NASCAR racing saw drivers using stock vehicles, hence the term stock car. The Hudson Hornet was so dominant that if you were not driving one, you didn't stand a chance of a NASCAR win, no matter how talented a driver you were.

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Here we have a luxury saloon car. Is it American or imported?

This luxury saloon car is the eighth generation Phantom from Rolls Royce. It is powered by a 6.75-liter twin-turbocharged V12 which produces 563 brake horsepower.

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Can you tell us if the car in this image was American or from a country outside America?

With its rugged styling, decent gas mileage figures and a peppy 285-hp, 3.6-liter V-6  engine, the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara is an impressive off-roader. It seats five people with ease and offers both a two and four-door option.

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Either available as a roadster or convertible, is this car American or not?

Built between 1959 and 1967, the Austin Healey 3000 was powered by a 2.9-liter straight-6 engine. This two-door vehicle was available as a roadster or convertible, and many 3000s made their way to North America. In fact, in 1963, over 90% of the 3000s produced actually ended up in the USA.

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This car was first released in 2005 and was smaller than the two previous generations. Did it need to be imported or was it an American model?

The H3 model of the Hummer was introduced in 2005 and is by far the smallest of the Hummer models. Three engine options were available for the H3, with most powerful a 5.3 liter V8 which produced 300 brake horsepower.

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This mid-sized SUV is powered by a 4.6 L DOHC Modular V8 engine. Do you think it is imported or is it made in the States?

The Lincoln Aviator debuted on American roads in 2002 and was made for a three-year period up until 2005. This luxury mid-sized SUV was powered by a 4.6 L DOHC Modular V8 engine and models included a 2-wheel drive as well as an all-wheel-drive version. Over 70,000 were sold by 2005.

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This is one of the most popular models in the USA over the past few years. American or imported?

Released in the compact car market in 1982, the Toyota Camry has changed over the years and since 1991, the vehicle has found itself in the mid-size car category. In that guise, the Camry has undergone facelifts on six separate occasions.

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Another favorite with the American public is pictured here. Do you know if it is American or from an overseas country?

Since 2012, the Honda Civic has sold over 1.6 million units in the United States alone. The Civic brand was first introduced by the Japanese automaker in 1972 in the subcompact car bracket. From 2000, however, the Civic has competed in the compact car class.

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Can you tell us if this car is imported or a model made in America?

With a range of affordable, high-spec cars coming out of Korea, Hyundai’s Elantra model is certainly one of the best cars available from that Asian country. This car, which features in the compact class, has been on the market since 1990 and was available in the United States the following year.

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In this image we have an unsuccessful luxury executive car. Only 2,500 were ever sold. Do you think it is American in origin or imported?

The Cadillac STS-V was a high-performance executive car that didn't sell massive numbers from 2005 to 2009. In fact, only 2,503 were produced. It remains an impressive car, however, with a 4.4-liter Northstar LC3 V8 engine producing a massive 469 brake horsepower.

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Can you tell us if the car in this image was American or from a country outside America?

A true British classic, Morgan is now producing vehicles for the new millennium and the grandson of the founder of the company brought the 2010 Aero SuperSports to Jay Leno's garage to test out. Incidentally, Leno already has a Morgan in his lineup, a 1932 three-wheeler.

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Once described by Enzo Ferrari as the most beautiful car in the world, is the vehicle in the image imported or of American origin?

Immediately recognizable, the Jaguar E-Type Coupe was once called the most beaufiful car in the world by Enzo Ferrari himself. And you have to agree, it sure is beautiful.

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Do you think the vehicle in this image is made in America or imported?

The Curved Dash Oldsmobile was released in 1901 and built until 1907. Before Ford had dreamed about his production line, Oldsmobile was living it when producing the Curved Dash. Although let’s be honest, it still looks like a horseless carriage.

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In this image we have a vehicle first seen in the mid-1950s. Was it produced in the United States or elsewhere in the world?

Although it was introduced in the 1950s by Dodge, it was the mid-'60s models that muscle car enthusiasts love. The 1969 model certainly looked the part, and with a 426 cubic inch V8 Hemi engine under the hood certainly sounded the part.

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Produced between 1963 and 1993, was this an American made car or imported from overseas?

Although the Alfa Rome Spider had a production run from 1966 to 1993, it is the ’66 to ’69 models, the first generation, that are highly sought as classic cars. This version had three power plant options, either 1.3-liter, 1.5-liter or 1.8-liter.

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An extremely popular car all over the world, is this vehicle imported into America or produced there?

The best selling car in the world, the Toyota Corolla was first introduced in 1966. During its lifetime, it has had 11 redesigns over that periods, first starting out as a subcompact model, moving to a compact as well as mid-sized categories. In 2016, over 300,000 units of the Corolla were sold in the United States alone.

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Do you think the vehicle in this image is made in America or imported?

The Jeep Honcho was a Gladiator pickup with the Honcho trim package applied to it. This was made available to customers between 1976 and 1983. It included a roll bar, Levi's interior and special decals.

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V8 engine, fastback looks, this is a stunning vehicle. Is it American or imported?

The fastback version of the Cyclone sold 6,105 models in that year and certainly as a popular muscle car. The Cyclone was powered by a range of V8 engines including the 428 cubic inch Cobra Jet.

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Can you tell us if this car is imported or a model made in America?

The Nissan Altima, a model now in the mid-sized car segment from the Japanese automaker, Nissan, was first introduced to the world in 1992. It is currently in its fifth generation and has become one of the best selling cars in the United States, with 1.5 million units shifted in the past 5 years.

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Can you tell us if the car in this image was American or from a country outside America?

The Jaguar XK120M Coupe is a British two-seater that is the epitome of sports cars from that era. Jay Leno owns a hardtop coupe version finished in a beautiful powdered light blue, while he also owns a roadster version. Leno considers these cars to be among the most beautiful ever made.

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This vehicle was driven by James Bond in "The Man with the Golden Gun." Do you think it is American or imported?

The American Motor Company produced the Matador in various models ranging from the coupe to station wagon. AMC sold the Matador from 1974 to 1978 as a coupe with a range of inline-6 and V-8 engines. A Matador was driven by James Bond in "The Man with the Golden Gun."

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In this image, we have a luxury cross-over vehicle. Would you say it was made in America or imported to the States?

The Enclave is a luxury cross-over was first marketed by Buick in 2007. For 10 years it competed in the full-sized segment, but the 2018 model drops to the compact segment. The Enclave has sold over 50,000 models each year for the past 5 years.

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What a stunner! Is it American-made or imported?

A 2-door convertible, the Dawn was first marketed by Rolls Royce in 2015. The Dawn can reach 155 mph (limited) and goes from 0 - 60 mph in 4.9 seconds.

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Can you tell us if this station wagon is American or imported?

The Brookwood is a full-sized station wagon produced by Chevrolet over two periods - firstly from 1958 to 1961 and again from 1969 to 1972. It was entry level station wagon offered by the company during both its production runs.

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Can you tell us if the car in this image was American or from a country outside America?

The Excursion was built by Ford between 1999 and 2005. It was marketed as a heavy-duty SUV vehicle and seen as competition for both the GMC Yukon and Chevrolet Suburban.

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Only ever available in black, do you think this is an American-made vehicle or imported to the USA?

The Dodge Warlock, which fell in the power wagon category, was initially a concept car. Dodge put it into production from 1977 to 1979. The Warlock was only available in black.

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With American sales figures of close to 300,000 units a year, is this car made in the States or imported to the States?

First produced in 1976, the Honda Accord is currently in its ninth generation and forms part of the full-size car market. It is a top seller in the United States and sells over 300,000 vehicles a year almost every year. The best sales year ever recorded was in 1990.

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Sold in the States for a three-year period from 2005 to 2008, was this car made there or imported?

A rebadged Ford F-150, the Lincoln Mark LT differs from its sister car in the fact that the cabin is far more luxurious. Introduced in 2005, the LT was only sold in the United States and Canada until 2008 but remained in production in Mexico until 2014, with a second generation launched in 2010.

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The car pictured here used a unique sports water injection system. American or imported?

Introduced in 1962, the Jetfire from Oldsmobile used a sport water injection system. For this to work, owners had to top up their Turbo Rocket Fuel, essentially a mixture of water and alcohol. Most kept forgetting and although it wasn't meant to, it affected the performance of the turbocharger and made the engine die.

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Do you think the vehicle in this image is made in America or imported?

Also known as the Qashqai, the Rogue is yet another compact crossover SUV offered by Nissan. It first entered the market in 2006 and is currently in its second generation. It is called the Dualis in Japan.

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V8 power, manual gearbox and good looks, is this vehicle made in America or imported?

Throughout its lifetime, the Pontiac Firebird has always had a loyal following. The late '90s version was certainly no different. Easy on the eye, rear-wheel drive, manual gearbox and V8 power - all the cues for a little bit of fun on your daily commute.

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Do you think this off-roader was imported to the States or manufactured there?

The Rebel combines comfort and off-road abilities thanks to its full-frame front suspension, a solid rear axle as well as air suspension all round. Not only can ride height be adjusted for the toughest terrain but it can benefit on the highway as well with better gas mileage.

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American made or imported? What do you think this vehicle is?

Korean car manufacturers have made a real impact all over the world including the United States, and it's not difficult to see why. Cars such as the Sonata are reasonably priced, come with a range of features as standard, have offered a comfortable ride, are spacious and give good gas mileage.

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Built between 1967 and 1971, was this vehicle made in the USA or in another country?

The GTX was another performance model made by Plymouth and marketed more at the more mature buyer. It was built between 1967 and 1971.

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Can you tell us if this car is imported or a model made in America?

Perhaps one of the lesser-known muscle cars, the Rambler Rogue certainly had the credentials. Not only was it a lightweight two-door coupe but it had all the power it needed thanks to 280 horsepower producing V8. Sadly, it was up against Mustangs, Camaros and GTO's and never really stood a chance in that company.

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