Boom time for cars

Major automakers reported solid sales gains in August in the United States, as consumers responded to higher gas prices by buying more compact cars and small S.U.V.'s.

The Detroit car companies all reported double-digit increases in sales for the month compared with the same period a year ago.

General Motors, the nation’s largest auto manufacturer, said its American sales grew 10 percent to 240,000 vehicles in August. The increase was driven by a strong performance by its Chevrolet passenger cars, particularly the new Sonic subcompact model.

G.M. also reported one of its best sales months ever for the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid. The company said it sold 2,800 Volts during August, compared with 300 a year earlier. ...NYT

Honda and Toyota are doing well, too, while VW's sales are up 62% over last year.

Comments

[Richard W. Crews]

I believe we need tariffs on expensive foreign products, such as cars. Some sort of inverse to their North American content (which is on the price label) and a consideration of where the labor is.

[Richard W. Crews]

I see every $60+ foreign-made car as a tenth of an American job shipped overseas. Every one. That's a lot of jobs. The car mfg worker, the factory maintainance, the lunch counter close by, the parts mfg and it's replication of all that. On and on, jobs build jobs.

[PW]

Wait a minute, Richard!! Hold on there!! Many Jeeps are assembled in Mexico, Fords and Chevies in Canada. Their parts come from all over the world (including the US). Hondas are made in Kentucky or Tennessee, Toyotas here in Texas. We're well beyond the fantasy that x, y, or z is an "American product" or, contrarily, "an import." Face it: our markets are largely global: win some, lose some.