AboutThatCarBlog.com

As not to offend, Japanese automakers are scaling back their participation at Detroit’s North American International Auto Show in January. That’s in the wake of their cancelling their annual Christmas parties.

In contrast with previous years, the chief executives of the three biggest Japanese automakers will not attend the North American International Auto Show even though their companies are among the top six players in the U.S. auto market.

Toyota Motor Corp. recently confirmed that CEO Katsuaki Watanabe had canceled plans to travel to the Detroit show. Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. previously said their chief executives would not attend.

The tip toeing is for good reason. It wouldn’t take much for Americans to one, sympathize with American automakers and two, to start buying American made cars. (read buy American) Japanese automakers have long feared a backlash against their products by American consumers and during these dire times the seeds of a backlash are beginning to sprout.

For instance, President-elect Barack Obama will wear a suit sewn by domestic manufacturer Hart, Schaffer and Marx rather than some British or Italian made threads. If that sentiment moves to metal, the first ones to suffer will be Honda, Nissan and Toyota.