BIRMINGHAM, AL--Some 25 years ago, nobody thought of Alabama as somewhere to build cars. The state was known as a place to make textiles and apparel, reports Jason Margolis for Public Radio International.
But, in 1993, Alabama lured in the German automaker Mercedes-Benz with more than $250 million in incentives, a jaw-dropping offer at the time. Former Alabama Congressman Jo Bonner was at a University of Alabama football game in Birmingham shortly thereafter.