Editing Captive import (section)

== American market ==
In the American market, captive imports "blurred national distinctions" because they were designed and built elsewhere, but have a domestic nameplate.<ref name="shifting">{{cite magazine|last=White |first=George |title=Shifting Gears |magazine=Black Enterprise |date=November 1986 |volume=17 |issue=4 |pages=76–88 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=eKgwMtavpS4C&dq=Captive+import&pg=PA76 |accessdate=29 October 2014}}</ref> The chief reason domestic automakers market captive imports is because "it is cheaper to import those cars than to produce them" in the United States.<ref name="shifting"/>

The [[Nash-Healey]] two-seat [[sports car]] was produced for the U.S. market between 1951 and 1954.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Adler |first1= Dennis |last2=Shelby |first2=Carroll |title=50 Cars to Drive |publisher=Globe Pequot Press |year=2008 |pages=233–234 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=ZDoYdD_evy8C&dq=America's+first+post+war+sports+car,+the+magnificent+1951+Nash-Healey&pg=PA234 |isbn=9781599212302 |accessdate=29 October 2014}}</ref> It combined a Nash Ambassador [[Powertrain|drivetrain]] with a European chassis and body and was a product of a partnership between [[Nash-Kelvinator|Nash-Kelvinator Corporation]] and British automaker [[Donald Healey]].<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Nash Builds a Sports Car |magazine=Popular Mechanics |volume=95 |issue=3 |pages=107–109 |date=March 1951 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=tdkDAAAAMBAJ&dq=the+1951+Nash-Healey+design&pg=PA107 |accessdate=29 October 2014}}</ref> After the first model year, the Nash-Healey was restyled and assembled by [[Battista Farina|Pinin Farina]] in [[Italy]].<ref>{{cite magazine |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=aNwDAAAAMBAJ&dq=nash-healey+sports+car+Italy&pg=PA101 |title=Nash-Heally ads LeMans hardtop to sports line |magazine=Popular Mechanics |page=101 |date=May 1953 |volume=99 |issue=5 |accessdate=29 October 2014}}</ref>

The [[Nash Metropolitan]], sold in the U.S. from 1954 until 1962, was a captive import for [[Nash Motors]]. It was designed by Nash, unlike most captive imports built by another company, and produced by [[Austin Motor Company|Austin]] in the UK specifically for sale in the U.S. By entering into a manufacturing arrangement, Nash would avoid the expense associated with tooling, body panels, and components.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/car_info_nash_metropolitan.htm |title=Nash Metropolitan |work=Unique Cars and Parts (Australia) |accessdate=29 October 2014}}</ref> When Nash launched this two-seater sub-compact car, it was the first time an American-designed car had been only built in Europe and never assembled in the United States. Unlike typical European cars of the era, its look was "American", and it had a design resemblance to the large or "senior" U.S.-built Nashes. It became one of the few small cars to sell well during the most bulk-obsessed period of U.S. automotive history.<ref>{{cite web| url= https://ateupwithmotor.com/model-histories/nash-metropolitan-history/ |title=From Small Things: The Nash Metropolitan and the Birth of American Motors |work=Ate Up With Motor |date=25 January 2009 |access-date=7 April 2023}}</ref>

When [[Mercedes-Benz]] was seeking entry into the American market in the 1950s, the company signed a marketing agreement with [[Studebaker]]&ndash;[[Packard]] and became a captive brand in their showrooms.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://patriot.net/~jonroq/stumerc.htm |title=Studebaker helped sell '50s Mercedes |first=Ray |last=Windecker |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20050204004935/http://patriot.net/~jonroq/stumerc.htm |archivedate=4 February 2005 |accessdate=29 October 2014}}</ref> Around the same time, [[Pontiac (automobile)|Pontiac]] dealers sold the GM's British-built [[Vauxhall Motors|Vauxhalls]] from 1958 until 1962.<ref>{{cite web| url= https://www.hemmings.com/stories/article/1957-61-vauxhall-victor |title=1957-'61 Vauxhall Victor: Too American for Britain, and too foreign for the States |first=Jeff |last=Koch |date=23 September 2018 |work=Hemmings |access-date=7 April 2023}}</ref>

[[Ford Motor Company|Ford]], who had invented the modern captive-import system in 1948 with the British Anglia and Prefect, added its own European [[Ford Cortina]] to its North American dealer network until low demand led to its discontinuation in 1970 when the company introduced its domestic Pinto replacement, and its European market [[Ford Capri]] to its U.S. [[Mercury (automobile)|Mercury]] line in the 1970s. Although the car had features to make it great, the marketing was flawed with a mismatch to the models traditionally sold by Lincoln-Mercury dealers.<ref name="Jalopnik-2012"/> Ford returned to importing the Mk1 Fiesta in 1978 when the company developed the North American market Escort/Lynx twins until 2013 when the "One Ford" business strategy was in operation, and the European market Mondeo and Fiesta were manufactured in both North America and Europe.

During the same period, [[Dodge]] marketed several small [[Mitsubishi Motors|Mitsubishi]] models, mostly sold as [[Dodge Colt]]s (versions of which would later be marketed under the [[Plymouth (automobile)|Plymouth]] and [[Eagle (automobile)|Eagle]] brands). Chrysler Corporation did not develop its in-house subcompacts during the late 1960s (which GM and Ford Motor Company had done with the Vega and Pinto), where they partnered with an overseas manufacturer with Mitsubishi and Hillman.

The "Plymouth Cricket" (a rebadged [[Hillman Avenger]]) was introduced to the U.S. market in the early 1970s to counter the growing demand for small cars, but not successful.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Martin |first1=Murilee |title=Cricket: Could It Be The Worst Car Chrysler Ever Sold? |url= https://jalopnik.com/cricket-could-it-be-the-worst-car-chrysler-ever-sold-282123 |website=Jalopnik |access-date=27 January 2024 |date=25 July 2007}}</ref>

[[General Motors]] marketed its German-built [[Opel]] models like the [[Opel Kadett|Kadett]] through [[Buick]] dealers in the late 1960s and early 1970s.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Stern |first1=Milton |title=Cute and tough, the Buick-Opels were often driven into the ground |url= https://www.hemmings.com/stories/article/buick-opels-cute-tough |work=Hemmings |date=20 July 2020 |access-date=7 April 2023}}</ref> This venture yielded ambivalent results; the Opels were generally well-regarded, and sales were decent but never substantial. In the 1970s, when Buick decided to phase out its Opels and sell small [[Isuzu]]s instead, the result was a handful of cars carrying a global brand, ''Buick Opel, by Isuzu.'' Buick was not the first to rebadge Isuzus — [[Chevrolet]] did the same with their [[Chevrolet LUV|LUV]] pickup truck in 1972.

The [[Daewoo]]-built line of [[Daewoo LeMans|LeMans]]-branded small cars were marketed by GM in several nations and through Pontiac dealers in the U.S. starting in 1988.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Stopford |first1=William |title=CC & Vintage Review: Pontiac LeMans and Daewoo 1.5i/Cielo – Kadetts Reporting Rather Late For Duty |url= https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-asian/cc-vintage-review-daewoo-1-5i-cielo-and-pontiac-lemans-kadetts-reporting-rather-late-for-duty/ |work=Curbside Classic |date=19 July 2018 |access-date=27 January 2024}}</ref>  They shared nothing with the original 1960s [[Pontiac LeMans|LeMans]] models. In the late 1980s, GM consolidated most of its various captive imports of the time under the [[Geo (automobile)|Geo]] brand, which was exclusively handled by [[Chevrolet]] dealers. The cars, built variously by [[Toyota]] (the [[Geo/Chevrolet Prizm|Prizm]]), [[Isuzu]] ([[Isuzu Gemini|Spectrum]], [[Geo Storm|Storm]]) and [[Suzuki]] ([[Suzuki Cultus|Metro]], [[Chevrolet Tracker|Tracker]]).

Examples of captive imports in the U.S. have included the [[Cadillac Catera]], a rebadged [[General Motors Omega|Opel Omega]], the [[Daewoo Kalos|Chevrolet Aveo]], built by [[GM Daewoo]], and the [[Chrysler Crossfire]] — an American design which mostly uses [[Mercedes-Benz]] mechanicals, but was built by [[Karmann]] in Germany.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/0304_chrysler_crossfire/ |title=Chrysler Crossfire |first=Joe |last=Lorio |date=1 April 2003 |work=Automobile Magazine |accessdate=29 October 2014}}</ref> The [[Pontiac GTO]], which was built alongside the Australian [[Holden Monaro]], also qualifies. The [[Saturn Astra]] is another example. It is a rebadged [[Opel Astra]] that is imported from Belgium. The successor for [[Pontiac Grand Prix#Seventh Generation|Pontiac's seventh generation Grand Prix]], the [[Pontiac G8]], was a modified [[Holden VE Commodore]] imported from Australia.

In 2004, GM began marketing the [[Daewoo Kalos|Chevrolet Aveo]] subcompact, a rebadged [[Daewoo Kalos]] (now a rebadged [[Daewoo Kalos|Daewoo Gentra]]) assembled in South Korea. In 2008, GM started marketing the Saturn Astra, which is a rebadged [[Opel Astra]], assembled in Belgium. Before the brand's phaseout, Pontiac also returned to the captive idea by selling [[Holden]] vehicles, first the [[Holden Monaro]] as the [[Pontiac GTO]] and then the [[Holden VE Commodore]] as the [[Pontiac G8]]. Pontiac dealers also briefly received a version of the Kalos/Gentra/Aveo, which was sold in Canada as the G3 Wave and in the U.S. as the [[Pontiac G3|G3]].

In 2011, GM once again used a Holden model, the [[Holden Caprice (WM)|WM/WN Caprice]], as a captive import for its [[Chevrolet Caprice|Caprice PPV]], but designed for law enforcement agencies in the United States and Canada.

In 2013, GM used the [[Holden VF Commodore]] as the [[Holden VF Commodore|Chevrolet SS]] performance sedan for the 2014 model year.