Wanting or desiring a European car over a Japanese car, or a US car built in Mexico has nothing to do with race, and everything to do with culture.
I have two Fords in my garage. One of them was designed and built in large extent by and for the European market and the other was a product of Detroit through and through. The former, my Contour, is and has been an excellent vehicle befitting its reputation as an enthusiasts' sedan. The latter, my Windstar, is a piece of utter crap. Granted it's only one data point, but the fact is that Europeans demand more from their cars, and Ford of Europe, before Ford went "global" was a whole different animal than Ford of NA. Guess what? The European staff of Ford Global is still European (mostly.) German engineers are still products of their outstanding educational system, and like it or not, German cars were outstanding during the dark ages of Detroit protectionism, when US cars really were crap.
Japan makes excellent cars, too, but before TQM and the industrial "revolution" that occurred after WWII (helped largely by American industrial assistance) "Made in Japan" was a joke. It took a long time, and a string of really good products, before that reputation turned around. Now "made in Japan" means quality. "Hecho En Mexico" is in somewhat of a transition. Mexico is not known for stellar education or great engineers. This says nothing about a person's ability or intelligence, but a nation's ability to mold talent and capitalize on the gifts of its population. Does Mexico deserve its bad rep? It used to, but I've heard people say that the Mexican Contours had fewer quality problems than the KC versions. True? Maybe, but it points to a turning in public perception.
So what's wrong with US cars? US management philosopy? Unions? Yankee culture? I say all of these and probably more. Racism? Not.
