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CARS IN THE UNITED STATES
The United States is home to the largest passenger vehicle market of any
country, which is a consequence of the fact that it has the largest Gross
Domestic Product of any country in the world. Overall, there were an estimated
247,421,120 registered passenger vehicles in the United States according to a
2005 DOT study. This number, along with the average age of vehicles, has
increased steadily since 1960, indicating a growing number of vehicles per
capita. The United States is also home to three of the world's largest vehicle
manufacturers, which are commonly referred to as the "Big Three." The motor car
has become an integral part of American life, with vehicles outnumbering
licensed drivers.
Total number of vehicles
According to the US Bureau of Transit Statistics for 2004 there are
243,023,485 registered passenger vehicles in the US. Out of these roughly 243
million vehicles, 136,430,651 (56.13%) were classified as cars, while 91,845,327
(37.79%) were classified as "Other 2 axle, 4 tire vehicles," presumably SUVs and
pick-up trucks. Yet another 6,161,028 (2.53%) were classified as vehicles with 2
axles and 6 tires and 2,010,335 (0.82%) were classified as "Truck, combination."
There were approximately 5,780,870 motorcycles in the US in 2004, which accounts
for 2.37% of all registered passenger vehicles.
According to cumulative data by the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) the
number of motor vehicles has also increased steadily since 1960, only stagnating
once in 1997 and declining from 1990 to 1991. Otherwise the number of motor
vehicles has been rising by an estimated 3.69 million each year since 1960 with
the largest annual growth between 1998 and 1999 as well as between 2000 and 2001
when the number of motor vehicles in the United States increased by eight
million. Since the study by the FHA the number of vehicles has increased by
approximately eleven million, one of the largest recorded increases. The largest
percentage increase was between the years of 1972 and 1973 when the number of
cars increased by 5.88%.
Bestsellers of 2007
Here are the top ten bestsellers in America for the calendar year 2007, based
on data published by Automotive News.
| 1.
Ford F-Series |
690,589 |
| 2.
Chevrolet Silverado |
618,257 |
| 3.
Toyota Camry |
473,108 |
| 4.
Honda Accord |
392,231 |
| 5.
Toyota Corolla/Matrix |
371,390 |
| 6.
Dodge Ram |
358,295 |
| 7.
Honda Civic |
331,095 |
| 8.
Chevrolet Impala |
311,128 |
| 9.
Nissan Altima |
284,762 |
| 10.
Honda CR-V |
219,160 |
Source: Automotive News Data Center
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