was somewhat surprised to learn
The bulk of their manufacturing
discovery was when I asked where their
a serious look and said something to the
we waste time inspecting their work?" It
Yeah, I think outsourcing was one of the "improvements" that the Japanese automakers foisted on the rest of the world in the 80s. Before that, if you opened the hood on a GM car, you'd find a Delco alternator and starter, Saginaw steering rack, Harrison compressor, an American Axle rear end gearset, a Muncie manual or Hydramatic automatic transmission (all GM divisions). Pop the hood on a Plymouth and you'd find a Chrysler alternator and gear-reduction starter (which the Nippondenso starter is clearly based on), an Airtemp v-twin AC compressor, a New Process manual tranny. That's not to say thousands of other smaller parts weren't outsoruced- Timken or Tyson bearings, TRW water pumps, TRW pistons, Carter or Holley carburetors, Bendix fuel injection, and various small castings and forgings from other vendors you've never even heard of.
Starting with the flood of Japanese cars in the 80s, that all began to change and bigger and bigger sub-assemblies were outsoruced to keep costs down to stay competitive. Everyone went to Nippondenso, Bosch, or Mitsubishi starters and alternators. Sanden AC compressors. Saginaw started making steering racks for everyone. Even GM's Muncie and Chrysler's New Process gear divisions merged to form New Venture Gear and sell transmissions and transfer cases not only to GM and Chrysler, but to other carmakers around the world.
That's all well and good (in some ways better- for example Sanden can invest more in making an ultra-efficient AC compressor than GM would care to) as long as control over the subcontractors is maintained, but just let Toyota try that "we don't waste time inspecting" bullshit on parts they get from vendors in China!