Duh! Then why did you say (note to Mike: Your statement that more buy American cars than imports has been wrong for a while). Can we assume in your world fleet buyers are not consumers? Do you think they get their vehicles, both domestic and foreign for free?
Speaking of dishonest. You might have mentioned there are only three domestic manufactures and ten or more import manufactures, "in history, " selling cars in the US as well. You neglected to point out the market today is over 16,000,000 vehicles, more than twice as many as when only domestics were sold in the US.
However, it was clear to thinking people that by consumers, I meant people who buy cars and trucks, excluding fleet sales and rental fleets.
Of course not. But the point is that the automakers make more money from consumers, and I was pointing out that the consumers (excluding fleet sales and rental fleets) have been buying more imports than domestic brands for a while.
Why would I do that? My dad owned an AMC Eagle, before Chrysler bought them. And, I used to live in the Packard Motor Car Building, just north of City Hall in Philadelphia. And I am quite aware that Olds, Hudson, Pontiac, Chevy, Stuts, Stanley Steamer and Jeep (as a company independent from Chrysler and AMC) used to make vehicles in the US, before I was even a smile on my father's face. And, Deloren made cars in the US in my lifetime.
I am quite aware that the reason why the Michigan 3 were once called the Big 3 is that there were a lot of little car companies, at one time. And many of the little car companies because part of the big 3, like Hudson and Chevy.
I am looking forward, not backwards. You're welcome to point out what you want.
And the market is much more than 16,000,000 vehicles. The market, today, includes Europe, Asian, South America, as well as Canada and Mexico.
Ford managed to lose money is the US market, despite the fact that the market is twice as big, as you point out. And GM is not far behind.
Let's see, GM sold 196,004 light trucks, Toyota sold 95,050 trucks. That means it takes just over 2 months for Toyota to sell as many trucks as GM sells in a month.
And it will take GM nearly 4 and a half months to sell as many Silverados and Sierras as Toyota sells Tundras in a year.
Of the US light truck market, according to Ward's auto, around 685,000 units were sold. According to Toyota, Toyota sold about 95,000 light trucks. That's about 14% of the light truck market.
Of the full-size pickup market, there were around 160,000 units sold. About 13% of those were Tundras.
Seems that Toyota is doing better than you thought with its pickups.
Well, why don't you go to ward's auto or whatever source of data you like for the July 2007 data, get the data yourself, and do your own percentages? Can an engineer add and divide properly (hint you get to use a calculator)?
It's been doubling every 7 years for a long time and is expected to continue so, even well after its GDP exceeds ours. Certainly Chinese personal income will remain a fraction of the US poverty level, but multiply it by 1.5 billion people and you have a force that can push around other countries with ease.
Way higher than $600, probably $2,000, but in purchase power parity (a better measure of the standard of living, compensates for exchange rates and local costs of living) it's $7,700, according to the CIA World Fact Book, and Mexico's is $10,700 PPP, America's $44,000.
MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.