George Washington, NASCAR Dad, Drives a Dodge Challenger (That's Made in Canada)

Patriotic appeals are nothing new for Detroit automakers, like Chevrolet's "An American Revolution" tag line within recent memory. Now Chrysler is getting into the act.

That's a little ironic, since Chrysler is now a junior partner for Italy's Fiat (FIATY.PK). From 1998 to 2007, Chrysler was also for all intents and purposes the Chrysler division of Germany's Daimler (DAI). Besides red, white and blue, that means Chrysler could also claim to be red, white and green, as well as a recent history of red, yellow and black. If there was an auto industry Olympics, Chrysler could join its pick of teams, like an international hockey player.

Anyway, Dodge shot an ad it says was in honor of the recent FIFA World Cup soccer match between the United States and England. (The June 12 soccer match turned out to be a 1-1 tie.)

The ad shows the grim-faced Father of His Country driving a Dodge Challenger muscle car into a confrontation with armed British redcoats, flying a giant Star Spangled Banner. Naturally, the lobsterbacks turn and run without firing a shot.

I have to admit, the sight of George Washington behind the wheel cracked me up. But just about everything else about the ad is a groaner, starting with the voiceover: "Here's a couple of things America got right," the ad says, "cars and freedom."

Well, OK. For NASCAR moms and dads, Dodge fans and Challenger buyers, it's probably understandable, literally, to wave the flag. If there's any audience that might respond to flag-waving, it's muscle-car enthusiasts.

That isn't just Chrysler, either. The Challenger is part of a new generation of retro-styled American muscle cars, also including the new Chevy Camaro and a redesigned Ford (F) Mustang. All three get more than their share of red, white and blue marketing appeals. Ironically, the Challenger is built in Canada.

It's also opening a can of worms to say that America "got it right" when it comes to cars. That was an easier claim to make when Chrysler, Ford and GM dominated the U.S. market more thoroughly than they do now - like, for instance, when the Challenger, the Camaro and the Mustang were hot stuff the first time around in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

That was also before Chrysler and GM went bankrupt last year. Nowadays, it would be more accurate to say America "got it right" when it came to trucks. I cannot tell a lie.

Photo: Chrysler