Re: Big Three lose ground in biggest U.S. market

They do not call California the land of fruits and huts for nothing

Big Three lose ground in biggest U.S. market >
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> WASHINGTON -- Auto sales plunged 39 percent in California in the last > three months of 2008, while Detroit's Big Three saw its market share fall > to less than one-third of all sales in the nation's largest auto market. > > New car and light truck registrations in California fell 23 percent to > 1.45 million, down from 1.88 million in 2007, while U.S. auto sales were > down just 18 percent last year, according to a report issued Thursday by > the California New Car Dealers Association. > > Passenger cars accounted for 60.1 percent of sales in 2008 in California, > up from 54.2 percent in 2007. For the entire country, passenger cars > accounted for 53.2 percent of total sales. > > Detroit's Big Three saw its market share in the Golden State fall 4.7 > percent to 32.4 percent. The Big Three had market share of 47.5 percent > nationwide in 2008. > > Big Three offerings were trounced in several categories. In the minivan > segment, Chrysler LLC's Town & Country and Dodge Caravan accounted for 13 > percent of all minivans registered. By comparison, the Honda Odyssey and > Toyota Sienna each had 37 percent shares. > > In midsize vehicles, the Chevrolet Malibu was 3.9 percent of sales and the > Ford Fusion 3.8 percent. The Toyota Camry accounted for 36 percent of > midsize sales and Honda Accord 27.6 percent, based on new car registration > data. > > In California, Chrysler brand sales fell 49 percent while its Dodge brand > fell 35 percent and Jeep dropped 33 percent. Both Chrysler and Nissan > Motor Co. each had a 7.5 percent market share in California. > > California wants to impose a 30 percent reduction in tailpipe emissions by > 2016. President Barack Obama directed the Environmental Protection Agency > on Monday to review the request for a waiver under the Clean Air Act by > California and 13 other states to impose their own standards. > > California has said it believes those standards would reduce new car sales > by 4.7 percent by 2020 because of the higher costs associated with > complying with the emissions standards. > > California auto dealers lamented the nearly 450,000 vehicle sales drop > this year -- more than many states sell in a year. > > "It's the largest single-year drop I've ever seen and the main reason that > the communities we serve are starving for sales tax revenue," said Gary > Shipman, chairman of the California dealers association, who also operates > Toyota and Subaru dealerships in Santa Cruz. > > > -- > Civis Romanus Sum
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Mike Hunter
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