1. 42% of the number of cars sold isn’t exactly chump change.
Which works out to about 151,000 cars - though I’d bet the small cars that have done well in this program (Focus, Cobalt and Caliber) aren’t profit leaders for the domestics.
2. Those “foreign” cars sold were built here by people living here and spending their paychecks here.
The top 10, and where they are built:
Toyota Corolla (California & Canada)
Honda Civic (Indiana)
Ford Focus FWD (Michigan)
Toyota Camry (Kentucky, Indiana)
Toyota Prius (Japan, with a plant opening in Mississippi)
Hyundai Elantra (South Korea)
Ford Escape FWD (Kansas)
Honda Fit (Japan)
Nissan Versa (Mexico)
Honda CR-V 4WD (Ohio)
I guess I was wrong - only half of the cars on the top-10 list are manufactured abroad. Toyota’s closing NUMMI, so any future Corrollas will be Canadian-made. And with their cash-burn, I don’t expect them to open the Mississippi plant anytime soon.
Looks like a lot of money going to American workers building cars to me
Dealers and distributors perhaps, but the manufacturing is where the real money is. And about $1B (my estimate) from CARS is going overseas. America can’t survive on a service-based economy alone. And I have a problem with the idea that American taxpayer money is being used to support manufacturing capabilities abroad.
If we wanted to stimulate the economy and save the planet, I’d argue a better program would be to increase the gas tax $0.50/gal, and give an immediate rebate of $200 to anyone making less than $100k/yr. Arguably, it would be just as effective at stimulating spending, not creating additional public debt (by forcing the purchase of a NEW car), and reducing gasoline consumption than this CARS program is.
And ultimately, I’d bet new-car demand will drop off significantly now that the program is done, as the economy as a whole really hasn’t gotten much better - especially in terms of jobs creation.
Edit: New information as of today:
Detroit’s percentage in this program has dropped to 41%.
The current top-10 are:
Toyota Corolla (California & Canada)
Honda Civic (Indiana)
Ford Focus FWD (Michigan)
Toyota Camry (Kentucky, Indiana)
Hyundai Elantra (South Korea)
Toyota Prius (Japan, with a plant opening in Mississippi)
Nissan Versa (Mexico)
Ford Escape FWD (Kansas)
Honda Fit (Japan)
Honda CR-V 4WD (Ohio)
And per Transportation Department records, 54% of these cars were “Made in the USA”, 46% were imported.
I scrolled through a couple pages and saw a few cars that have a higher MPG than CARS were requiring. That list is screwed up.
Seriously- An Aston Martin DB7? 2001+ S4 Audis? M Series BMWs turned in? Yea right, I’ll believe it when I see the video. Anyone who is dumb enough to turn in those cars to the CARS program couldn’t afford them to begin with. Unless the cars were towed in after being totaled, I don’t see these cars happening to be traded in for a prius.
Yea, its complete trash. Maybe that list is every car that was traded in DURING the C4C program? Its got 2008 Mustangs on it. Those definitely did not qualify.
I saw a 2005 RX-8, 2008 Saab 9-3 AWD Sedan, and a 2008 Scion xD
I’m guessing that “We will take everything” might also include completely totaled vehicles that are unrepairable? I’m guessing that might be the case with some of the “nicer” vehicles.
Just like that S4… maybe the engine is screwed/turbos done for/super high miles.
How have the sales been since the program ended?
I heard on the news this morning that automakers are increasing productions.
I wouldn’t beleive it if I didn’t hear it myself.
Who the f**k is buying cars right now?
From what I have heard the clunkers program really put the screw on the Private Dealers. Prices shot up at auctions because you can’t find good cars anymore. IDK.
Sucks for the “consumer” looking to buy a cheap DD/Beater. Good luck finding a used car with less than 100k-mi for under $5k.
