Made in the U.S.A.: Honda and Toyota as transplant automobile manufacturers in the United States

This dissertation analyzes the histories of Honda of America Manufacturing, Inc. and Toyota Motor Manufacturing, U.S.A., Inc. Honda of America Manufacturing, Inc. produces automobiles and major components in the State of Ohio, and Toyota Motor Manufacturing, U.S.A., Inc. conducts similar activities in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The dissertation treats the historical, cultural, legal, and labor aspects of each corporation's decision to manufacture in the United States, and the degree to which each has succeeded in meeting its goals.;Both primary and secondary research sources are used in the dissertation. Included among primary sources are federal, state, and local government records, private correspondence, corporate memoranda, court records, federal, state, and local legislation, and interviews with elected officials. Secondary materials including articles published in popular media outlets, scholarly journals, and books are utilized as sources of background information and as reflections of public sentiment regarding the two companies.;The dissertation finds that Honda and Toyota pursued their activities in different fashions that reflected their individual corporate cultures. Honda, the smaller of the two firms, proved to be more entrepreneurial in its approach to American manufacturing than the more cautious Toyota. Though different from one another, the firms did share attributes that contrasted with broad trends in the American automobile industry. Honda and Toyota expanded operations and hired workers in a time characterized by corporate downsizing. In addition to being a triumph for both firms, the success of Honda and Toyota as manufacturers in the United States suggests a new era in the American automotive industry.;The dissertation addresses three main topics. First, it chronicles the broad histories of Honda and Toyota as vehicle manufacturers in Japan. Secondly, the dissertation focuses on site selection and expansion of the companies' manufacturing facilities in the United States. Lastly, the dissertation turns to labor relations and management techniques at both Honda of America Manufacturing and Toyota Motor Manufacturing. Consideration is given to the hiring process each firm utilized, the demographic composition of the resulting work forces, and the relationship the firms had with American labor unions.