3 Million Cars

Some 3.27 million new cars are now sitting on lots across the U.S., more than there have been in almost five years, according to Automotive News. That’s a lot of cars—just enough to equip every man, woman, and child in the state of Iowa with a new vehicle, and just slightly less than the number of iPhones added to Verizon’s network last quarter. A year ago at this time, by contrast, there were 2.7 million vehicles lying in wait across the country; summer 2011 saw an inventory of about 1 million fewer cars.

Roughly 100 million cars in the U.S. are between seven and 12 years old, the “sweet spot” for high-maintenance repairs, according to Bloomberg analyst Kevin Tynan. At the pace Americans were buying cars last month, dealers can sell the current backlog in 61 days, which Tynan calls a “manageable” number. In January, supply was at 75 days.

This is dated and nearly a year old but you get the picture.  Our infatuation for the automobile, which includes a huge amount of pickup trucks, can get out of hand.  "The United States is home to the largest passenger vehicle market of any country in the world.^[1] Overall, there were an estimated 254.4 million registered passenger vehicles in the United States according to a 2007 DOT study.^[2] This number, along with the average age of vehicles, has increased steadily since 1960, indicating a growing number of vehicles per capita. The Chinese car market, however, is poised to soon exceed the United States; by the end of 2012, there were over 240 million cars on the road in China.^[3]

The United States is also home to three large vehicle manufacturers: General Motors, Ford Motor Company and Chrysler, which have historically been referred to as the "Big Three." Chrysler however is no longer among the top three; but is number five, behind Toyota and Honda. The motor car has clearly become an integral part of American life, with vehicles outnumbering licensed drivers.<sup>"

There are days I wished life was simpler but this isn't one of them.  Getting my own car keys at age 16 changed my life forever, though it almost killed me, too.

I can't imagine life without my wheels but 3 million of them available is a lot to choose from!

Ed Winkle</sup>