As a kid who grew up with extremely fast muscle cars 'Detroit Iron'
18 cent a gallon 110 octane Phillips 66 Flite Fuel, this one hurts.
Having owned a 1964 600 HP Dodge that ran an eleven second flat
quarter mile, a 1970 'Cuda that ate Z-28s, Boss 302s for lunch every
time, the mighty have truly fallen. Don't talk to me about today's fast
cars (and there are some that I would even consider owning, American
only of course)because there will never be as wonderful a sound as a
late 1960 or very early 1970 big block V-8 pushing a stock 425+ H.P.
Perhaps this country can regain the leadership of the auto industry
but I do not think it will happen in my lifetime.
China Topples U.S. as No. 1 Auto Market
Daily Finance
DAVID SCHEPP
Posted 11:15 AM 01/08/10 Ford Motor Co., General Motors
It took a massive recession to make it happen, but
China eclipsed the U.S. in auto sales last year and is expected to have a strong 2010. Buoyed by government stimulus, Chinese consumers snatched up 10.3 million cars last year, while total vehicle sales are believed to have reached 13.6 million, according to the China Passenger Car Association.
R.I.P
The increase represents a 45% jump in sales. Not surprisingly, Chinese officials beamed. "This is even better than anyone expected," the association's General Secretary Rao Da said at a news conference in Shanghai, according to The Associated Press.
China's upbeat sales are in contrast to those last year in the U.S. which, until now, was perennially the world's largest auto market. With sales of just 10.4 million cars and trucks, 2009 year will go down as the slowest U.S. sales year since 1982, when the country was also mired in recession.
U.S. auto sales were kept at bay despite a month-long surge during the summer amid the federal government's truncated "cash for clunkers" program. Sales also picked up late last month as consumers responded to news reports of once-in-a-lifetime deals on General Motors' discontinued Pontiac and Saturn lines.
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Hat Tip:
China Confidential
