American President Barack Obama praised U.S. car producers for operating at a profit for the first time in six years during a visit to the Ford Assembly Plant in Chicago on Thursday.
"All three U.S. automakers [General Motors, Chrysler and Ford] are now operating at a profit. That's the first time it's happened in six years," U.S. President said.
He commended the automakers for keeping their plants open through the usual summer shutdown to keep up with increased demand.
"If we could just get a sense of common purpose, we could once again see the best cars in the world designed, engineered, forged right here in Chicago, right here in the Midwest, right here in the United States of America," Obama said, adding that the last car he had bought was Ford Escape.
"I bought it about two months before I got Secret Service and they wouldn't let me drive anymore. So it only had like 2,000 miles after five years, but I really enjoyed those 2,000 miles," the president said.
The U.S. auto industry, which traditionally sells on credit, was severely affected by the global economic downturn.
In 2009 the White House allocated a $25 billion bailout to General Motors and Chrysler. Ford's management rejected the state help, saying they would handle the slump alone.
Obama said the U.S. administration would make a new $250 million Export-Import Bank loan guarantee for Ford that would help the auto giant export more than 200,000 cars and trucks overseas.
"We're tired of just buying from everybody else - we want to start selling to other people, because we know we can compete," Obama said.
WASHIGTON, August 5 (RIA Novosti)
