China Surpasses U.S. In Car Sales To Become The Number One Global Market

Boosted by Beijing's stimulus, 2009 passenger car sales soared to 10.3 million and total vehicle sales are estimated at 13.6 million, the China Passenger Car Association said. That represents growth of about 45 percent from 2008.

"This is even better than anyone expected," the group's general secretary, Rao Da, said at a news conference in Shanghai.

By contrast, U.S. sales of cars and light trucks plunged 21 percent in 2009 to 10.4 million as a shaky economy kept buyers away from showrooms. It was the first time any country bought more cars than Americans.



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dlin - 1/8/2010 11:00:32 AM

+2 Boost

Yawn.....

pennfootball - 1/8/2010 11:28:58 AM

-1 Boost

That's because the cars there cost as much as motorcycles here!

Agent63 - 1/9/2010 9:37:19 PM

+2 Boost

Badgewhore, I have to agree with you on that one.

achiles - 1/8/2010 12:24:54 PM

-1 Boost

I was gonna say that penn, what about monetary sales. How much profit did they make out of them. I wish I could take something like a ford f-150 pick-up or something like that to china, and watch them look in awe at the size of the thing, as I run over their hot wheels.

ThierryHenry14 - 1/8/2010 1:15:22 PM

+2 Boost

It was bound to happen, given China also has 400% more people than the US.

XYZZ - 1/9/2010 4:43:38 AM

0 Boost

huu, you're overlooking the fact that the U.S. gummint has directly and indirectly subsidized CHEAP ENERGY here too.

if oil goes over $100 bbl again, the U.S. would be HURT FAR MORE than china. (think of the relative no. of guzzlers in each country.)

i almost would WELCOME higher gas prices, to knock the wind out of all the fat ass americans who think having a honking v8 makes them more manly! LOL!

XYZZ - 1/13/2010 6:11:48 AM

+1 Boost

taxes that are merely NOMINAL are sorta a subsidy in itself. even before taxes are added, fuel prices DO NOT ACCOUNT for the TOTAL downstream costs (restoration of coal fields, environmental damage and restorations, etc. etc.).

our gov't (and other irresponsible ones) have had cheap energy POLICIES to stimulate economic growth.

XYZZ - 1/13/2010 5:53:31 AM

+1 Boost

anyone hear yesterday's news followup: china did not merely eke past u.s. new car sales by a piddly few thousand, like the vw GROUP did going by toyota.

they BLEW PAST, selling 14 million vs. our 11 million!