Workers assembling GM vehicles are shown at the GM auto assembly plant in Arlington, Texas, Feb. 19, 2009. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Did you ever wonder where your car came from? What about your vehicle’s engine or transmission? Well, if you know (or think you know) that your car was built in the United States — and yes, that includes a lot of brands that we normally consider imports — then you may want to take a look at this interactive map from The New York Times.

Here’s how it works: First select the brand from the column on the far left, and then choose the model that you want to know more about. A small photo of the vehicle will be displayed in the upper right corner and the map will highlight (with a simple blue dot) the city and state where the car or truck was manufactured. To the left of the photo (in addition to listing the city and state of assembly once more), you’ll learn if the vehicle was built in a union or non-union factory and where the engine and transmission came from, too.

As the note at the bottom of the map tells you, if you can’t find your vehicle model of choice on the list, that means it’s assembled somewhere other than the United States. And if you look towards the lower half of the page, you’ll find two separate lists of car makes and models that are assembled in Canada and Mexico. Unfortunately, there’s no interactive map feature available for these entries; however, it’s still good-to-know information. At least I think it is, anyway.

Of course, the import brands are still imports — meaning that the parent company is headquartered overseas, and that’s where the profits go — but models like the Toyota Avalon, for instance, blur the lines a bit, don’t they? The Avalon is manufactured in Georgetown, Ky., and the engine and transmission are from right here in the States, too.

So, take a few minutes to play around with the lists and the map. Who knows? You just may decide to buy (or not buy) your next car or truck based on what you learn.

More related stuff:
How Car Engines Work
How Automatic Transmissions Work
How Manual Transmissions Work
How Automotive Production Lines Work