2011 SALES
Total sales of passenger vehicles in 2011 were 12.7 million, according to WardsAuto. While overall industry sales were up more than 10%, consumer demand for light trucks pushed even higher to an increase of more than 12% from the previous year. Passenger car sales increased about 8%. Some of the most important influences on auto sales levels in general are consumer confidence (which is affected by the housing, job and stock markets), consumer credit availability and gas prices.
2011 vs. 2010 U.S. Light Vehicle Sales: Sales Up — Especially for Light Trucks
Both Passenger Cars and Light Trucks Are Popular
For the past decade, about half of new vehicle sales have been light trucks—minivans, SUVs and pickups. Often consumers choose light trucks for their passenger and cargo capacity, four-wheel-drive features, towing capacity and more.
HISTORICAL SALES
For years, U.S. consumer demand led to annual car and light truck sales that ranged from 15 to 17 million units a year, and sometimes exceeded 17 million. But when the banking industry collapsed in 2008, auto sales dropped to just over 10 million the following year. “In a matter of weeks following the demise of Lehman Brothers in September 2008, the U.S. car market tanked by nearly half. For most automakers… it was as if the clock was set back by 20 years,” said an article in The Economic Times in June 2009. However, sales began climbing in 2010, increasing 10% in both 2010 and again in 2011. Sales forecasts for 2012 range from 13 to 14 million.
Steady, Strong Sales Until 2008...and Now Growing Again
