The Ford Mustang is sort of an American pastime in itself. But one study shows that it is the most American-made car for 2021. The American University studied the relationship between the total domestic content (TDC) for vehicles assembled in the country compared to all vehicles sold by the brand. So how did the Ford Mustang GT line up against cars from a manufacturer like Tesla?

Ford Mustang GT has the most US domestic content

The American University Kogod School of Business puts out a report called the Made in America Auto Index every year. The top 10 consisted of 21 vehicles that include the “most US domestic content.” The top spot went to the manual transmission-equipped Ford Mustang GT 5.0 with 88.5% domestic parts. 342 vehicles were investigated as part of the study.

In 2020, the Ford Ranger took the top spot over the Ford Mustang with 70% domestic parts. This year, that amount dropped from 70% to 40%. Due to supply chain issues, it isn’t surprising that there was so much change in one year.

Further down the line, the Chevy Corvette Stingray came in second with 86% TDC. The Tesla Model 3 was next with 82.5%. The Model 3 accounts for the Long Range, Standard Range, and Performance variations. At 80.5% TDC, the Ford Bronco 2.7L was next on the list. The Ford Expedition, Chevy Canyon, Chevy Colorado, Tesla Model S, and Y shared the fifth spot with 80%.

Three different versions of the Jeep Cherokee share the sixth spot. The automatic Chevy Camaro came in at number seven (the manual Camaro came in at 17th due to a transmission from Mexico). The Ford F-150 and the Tesla Model X share the eighth spot. Honda joined the ninth spot among the Ridgeline, Odyssey, Pilot, and Passport. And finally, spot 10. The Ram 1500 shares the last spot with the automatic 5.0L and the 2.3L Ecoboost Ford Mustang. The vehicles in the 10th spot were made of 76% of domestic parts.

What else did the American University discover about the Ford Mustang GT?

When the Kogod School of Business looked at the average TDC by manufacturers for vehicles assembled in the country, the list shows that GM and Ford had over 70% TDC. “FCA, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Toyota, and Fiat Chrysler [came in] at 65-70 percent.” Tesla is not included in the table but makes all of its vehicles in the US. The EV maker had an average of 81% TDC. That would have put Tesla ahead of Ford and GM.

“When comparing the difference between total TDC for US-assembled cars and overall average TDC for all cars, it indicates the extent that the manufacturer serves the US market from a local base.” Honda took the lead in this category as a non-US headquartered manufacturer.

In comparison, Toyota has a reasonably small TDC average compared to the presence in the country. This is likely the case for Toyota and Lexus due to imports from Japan. Many vehicles listed like the 4Runner, RC, and Prius came in at 0% TDC.

What is the reason for so much change on the list?

Compared to the 2020 results of the American University, it is clear that the semiconductor chip shortage imaged the results. This could be why Diamler and Subaru saw significant drops compared to the previous year. “This may be the result of US shortages of parts and components as the impacts of the covid pandemic created significant disruptions in automotive supply chains.”

According to the 2020 results, the Ford Ranger took the first spot with 70% TDC. The second and third spots were held by GM with the Chevy Camaro (automatic transmission), Corvette, Chevy Colorado, and Canyon. After that, the Jeep Cherokee Latitude AWD and Cherokee Trailhawk shared the fourth spot. The Ford Explorer 3.0L, Cadillac CT4, and CT5.

In the notes of the 2020 study, American University noted that Tesla was not compliant with the study. Perhaps that is why it wasn’t included in the 2021 chart. Congrats to the Ford Mustang GT for being the most American