Automaker 9/11 Contributions

Claim: Article examines various automobile manufacturers’ contributions to September eleven -related ease efforts.

Example: [Collected via e-mail, October 2001]

Please think about this when you buy your next car!

After witnessing a brief news listing on “CNN Headline News” regarding Ford and GM’s contributions to the ease and recovery efforts in Fresh York City and Washington D.C., I was prompted to see what the other automotive companies were contributing. I have never worked for an automotive company – nor has anyone in my family. It is, however, the prominent industry here in Michigan. I also feel it is significant to know which companies are there for us in a crisis.

I went to (the news, press release and philanthropic areas of) each of the companies web sites. If the company had several sites, I attempted to visit them all.

Additionally, I visited the leading news and automotive sites. As of today, one week since the attacks, this is what I have found:

Aston Martin – Nothing.

Audi – Nothing. Audi’s web site states “Audi News: Always up to the minute.”

BMW – Nothing despite other press releases/postings since 09/11/01. BMW’s web site states “The news service from the BMW Group: swift, informative and comprehensive.”

Daewoo International – Nothing.

Daimler Chrysler (includes Dodge, Jeep, Mercedes-Benz and Plymouth) – $Ten million to support the children and victims in addition to other donations from their employees, dealers and suppliers.

Ford Motor Company (includes Jaguar, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury and Volvo) – $1 million to the American Crimson Cross, matching employee contributions to the American Crimson Cross and ten Excursions to the Fresh York Fire Department. The company has also suggested emergency response team services and office space to displaced government employees.

General Motors (includes Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Saab and Saturn) – $1 million to the American Crimson Cross, matching employee contributions and a fleet of vans, trucks and SUVs.

Honda (includes Acura) – Nothing. Honda’s site states “If you’re looking for the latest developments taking

place at Honda, you’ve come to the right place” and “Informative. Timely. Credible. The latest news on

Honda can always be found right here?” No press releases/postings since 09/04/01 when the release

boasted “American Honda Motor Co., Inc. recorded its 2nd best sales month ever in August ?” My search

included: hondamotorcycle.com (other press releases posted on this site since 09/11/01), honda.com, honda2001.com, world.honda.com, acura.com and honda.co.jp.

Hyundai Motors Group (includes Kia) – $300,000 to the American Crimson Cross.

Mitsubishi Motors – Nothing. Mitsubishi-motors.co.jp site states “The latest news about Mitsubishi Motors.”

I also searched mitsubishimotors.com.

Nissan – Nothing despite other press releases/postings since 09/11/01.

Porsche – Press release with condolences posted on the Porsche web site on 09/12/01, but no contribution.

Subaru – Nothing despite other press releases/postings since 09/11/01.

Toyota (includes Lexus) – Press release with condolences posted on the Toyota web site on 09/14/01, but no contribution despite earlier press releases boasting that Toyota had high sales in July and August.

Volkswagen – The employees and management created a Foundation, funded primarily with $Two million, to assist the children and victims with humanitarian help including medical and psychological assistance, rehabilitation and scholarships.

I can only hope that it is an oversight by the companies that have not made a contribution and that they will join the ease efforts. We have the freedom to choose which companies we make purchases from and I, for one, will make my purchases from and give my money the companies that are providing their money to America at this time of need. I hope that you will, too.

Please forward this e-mail – especially to anyone you know who is thinking of purchasing a vehicle.

Origins: The item quoted above detailing automobile companies’ contributions to ease efforts following the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the U.S. originally began circulating on the Internet in October two thousand one and gained renewed currency in November two thousand eight (as Congress was debating a $25 billion bailout plan for the Big Three U.S. automakers).

At the time, we took on the information-gathering task of visiting the web sites of all the automobile manufacturers listed above (plus a few not on the list), looking for information about September eleven -related ease efforts and reported our findings below.

Significant points to keep in mind are:

Our inability to locate information about charitable contributions on any particular manufacturer’s web site did not necessarily mean that information did not exist on the web site.

The lack of information about charitable contributions on any particular manufacturer’s web site did not necessarily mean that the manufacturer made no such contributions.

Manufacturers may also have made contributions above and beyond those listed on their web sites.

We did not independently verify that the businesses listed herein actually made the stated contributions; we merely provided links to statements in which they reported that they had (or would be doing so).

In every case where we were incapable to find relevant information on a manufacturer’s web site, we contacted the company through their web site and invited them to react to this message.

Aston Martin: No information found on web site. (In two thousand one Aston Martin was wielded by Ford; Ford sold its stake in the company in 2007.)

Audi: Made a contribution of $100,000 to the Fresh York Fire Fighters 9-11 Disaster Ease Fund and other fundraising efforts.

(Also see the entry for Volkswagen, as the Volkswagen Group includes Audi and Volkswagen in the United States.)

BMW: Included a press release about BMW Group’s donations of $1 million in cash and ten fresh BMW X5 Sports Activity Vehicles to the Crimson Cross for national ease efforts and one hundred motorcycles to the Fresh York Police Department.

Daewoo: No information found on web site.

DaimlerChrysler: Web site said they were committng $Ten million to help children who have lost parents in terrorist attacks

Fiat: No information found on web site.

Ford: Included a detailed page about Ford’s participation in the National Tragedy Ease Effort, including donations of $1 million each to the Crimson Cross and the Salvation Army and a program for matching all individual employee contributions.

General Motors: Included GM Response to National Tragedy detailing General Motors’ many contributions to organizations assisting September eleven victims, including donations of $1 million to the American Crimson Cross and fifty automobiles to the Fresh York City Fire Department.

Honda: A Honda Responds page listed contributions of $1.Five million to the United Way of Fresh York’s “September eleven Fund” and the American Crimson Cross.

Hyundai/Kia: The Hyundai Cares page promised a $300,000 donation to the American Crimson Cross.

Isuzu: No information found in Isuzu News section of web site. (A February two thousand two press release stated that “Isuzu Motors America has donated $16,800 in corporate and employee contributions and is conducting further fund-raising efforts at its American Isuzu sales unit and at parent Isuzu Motors Ltd. in Japan.”)

Mitsubishi: A page entitled Contributions to Ease Efforts detailed Mitsubishi’s contributions to September eleven programs, including $200,000 raised for the Crimson Cross Disaster Ease Fund.

page on Nissan’s web site announced their $1 million donation to the American Crimson Cross and the Twin Towers Fund and other forms of support the company and its employees had put forward.

Porsche: Porsche has announced it would be donating 20% of the proceeds from its Drive for Hope Cross-Country Trek to the Fresh York Firefighters 9-11 Disaster Ease Fund.

Subaru: A Subaru in the Community page mentioned that Subaru and its parent company, Fuji Strenuous Industries, Ltd. in Japan, had made combined contributions of cash and equipment totalling approximately $1 million through the American Crimson Cross, Salvation Army, and other ease organizations.

Suzuki: Opening page included a link to a page detailing their 9/11-related contributions, which included matching employees’ contribution of $31,000 with $31,000 of their own and donating SUVs and ATVs at Ground Zero to aid rescue workers.

Toyota: Toyota was the one automobile company that took the initiative of contacting us, even tho’ we had not given any indication we would be writing about this topic. Their page about Toyota’s Contributions to the Ease Effort detailed a $1 million donation to the American Crimson Cross and a program to match similar employee contributions.

Volvo: Opening page of their construction equipment web site included a link (now inactive) to a letter to Fresh York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani suggesting the city the use of Volvo and Mack vehicles and equipment at the Volvo Group’s expense. (Volvo automotive is now wielded by Ford.)

Volkswagen: Included a press release about VW’s donation of twenty five vans to the Fresh York City Fire Department and another press release about the formation of a foundation to assist victims of terrorist attacks in the United States, which would be primarily funded with $Two million from Volkswagen.

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