Honda: 2004 Accord Coupe Radio and Speakers

In article <Bh2db.7962$news.prodigy.com>,
"Saucer Man" <com> wrote:
 

Why do you ask?

Is it important?

It's not important at all, really, because no matter WHO manufactures
these things, they're manufactured to Honda specs with Honda connectors.

Let's say they're Panasonic pieces. That doesn't mean that you can go
out and buy retail Panasonic gear and have any of it plug together. No
sir. The Honda pieces have their own wiring.

And let's say Panasonic made the speakers, too. Let me tell you,
there's no way they'd sell that junk in retail form with their own name
on it.

Just because a company manufactured something, doesn't mean anything
with respect to comparing that piece to that same company's retail goods.

Panasonic and Alpine are electronic manufacturers with plenty of
experience and capacity to sell to automakers like Honda. But Honda
specs things out to make a critical price point, as well as having it
all fit into the architecture of the car. Those things are *completely*
incompatible with the goals of the retail end of Panasonic and Alpine,
and as a result the retail side of Panasonic and Alpine have nothing
whatsoever to do with the OEM side of things.

It's just like the ongoing "who makes their oil filters" discussion.
Nobody cares who the actual manufacturer is; the specs of the piece and
the quality of the components inside is what matters. Honda may choose
from a variety of component options, all guided by Panasonic or Alpine,
and they may choose components that the retail Panasonic goods would
never get.

Back to my question: why is the actual owner of the manufacturing line
important?