ATLANTA, GA-According to the July edition of the Shopper Insights Report from the AutoTrader.com Trend Engine, 41% of car shoppers recently surveyed say that it is important to purchase a vehicle built in the United States by U.S. workers, versus 28% who say it is important to purchase a vehicle made by a U.S. automaker.

The top three reasons shoppers say that it is important to purchase a vehicle that is physically made in America are: Protects American jobs (78%), Supports the American economy (74%) and Keeps American dollars at home (62 %).

"There's no doubt that buying American products supports the U.S. economy, but ‘made in the U.S.' doesn't have to mean 'made by' a U.S. manufacturer," says Rick Wainschel, vice president of automotive insights at AutoTrader.com. "With the global nature of the auto industry, many vehicles from foreign automakers are manufactured right here in the U.S., enabling car shoppers to feel that they are still supporting the U.S. economy and job creation for American workers."

Further, the survey revealed that while "American made" is generally seen by consumers as a car made in the United States by a U.S. automaker, a vehicle that is made in the U.S. by a foreign automaker is more likely to be seen as "American made" (57%) than one from a U.S. automaker that was built outside the U.S. (43%).