Check out the following press release from Good Jobs First:

Foreign Auto Plants Have Received $3.6 Billion In Subsidies,  Mostly from Southern States 

Responding to many queries,  Good Jobs First released its summary of state and local subsidies  given to foreign-owned auto assembly plants, totaling $3.6  billion.

“As elected officials debate aid for the Big 3,  taxpayers have the right to know the full extent of government  involvement in America’s auto industry,” said Greg LeRoy, GJF’s  executive director. “And while proposed federal aid to the Big 3  would take the form of a loan, the vast majority of subsidies to  foreign auto plants were taxpayer gifts such as property and sales  tax exemptions, income tax credits, infrastructure aid, land  discounts, and training grants,” he said.

Honda, Marysville,  OH, 1980, $27 million*
Nissan, Smyrna, TN, 1980, $233  million**
Toyota, Georgetown, KY, 1985, $147 million
Honda,  Anna, OH, 1985, $27 million*
Subaru, Lafayette, IN, 1986, $94  million
Honda, East Liberty, OH, 1987, $27 million*
BMW,  Spartanburg, SC, 1992, $150 million
Mercedes-Benz, Vance, AL,  1993, $258 million
Toyota, Princeton, IN, 1995, $30  million
Nissan, Decherd, TN, 1995, $200 million**
Toyota,  Buffalo, WV, 1996, more than $15 million
Honda, Lincoln, AL,  1999, $248 million
Nissan, Canton, MS, 2000, $295  million
Toyota, Huntsville, AL, 2001, $30 million
Hyundai,  Montgomery, AL, 2002, $252 million
Toyota, San Antonio, TX, 2003,  $133 million
Kia, West Point, GA, 2006, $400 million
Honda,  Greensburg, IN, 2006, $141 million
Toyota, Blue Springs, MS,  2007, $300 million
Volkswagen, Chattanooga, TN, 2008, $577  million

Total: more than $3.58 billion

* total of  direct subsidies to all Honda facilities in Ohio
** includes  about $200 million for expansions of Smyrna and Decherd  plants
List does not include joint ventures with U.S. companies  

These data, drawn primarily from contemporary media  accounts, are very conservative. They do not account for inflation;  some would be worth far more in today’s dollars. They do not include  any estimate of subsidies granted to hundreds of foreign-owned auto  supply companies that have located in the same areas, virtually all  of which were also heavily subsidized. Finally, they do not reflect later news accounts, which often place higher subsidy  values. 

Good Jobs First is a non-profit, non-partisan  research center promoting best practices in economic development and  smart growth, based in Washington, DC, with offices in New York and  Chicago.