As they struggle to reignite their ailing North America operations, both General Motors Corp and Ford Motor Co are depending on profits from operations in new markets across Asia to keep them afloat.
David Cole, head of the Center for Automotive Research, said it is "extremely important" for both American automakers to do well in countries such as China and India.
"This is not an option. You have to do it. The long-range implications for both are huge. You can't not do it," he told AFP. "You've got to be serious about it."
The successes in China to date have also helped both companies shore up their reputations, battered in their home market.
GM, for example, recently began running a series of print advertisements touting the fact that on the globe's most level playing field - China - GM does just fine, thank you very much. In fact, GM is No 1, the ad notes.