June's Sales Analysis: Are American Car Buyers Becoming More Patriotic?

The F-150 was the top-selling vehicle in June 2011 and June 2010 despite gas price being above $3.00 a gallon. And for the 2011 model year, Ford also offers a 6-cylinder engine that pushes out as much horsepower as any 8-cylinder.

The Chevy Silverado was the second best-selling vehicle in both June 2011 and June 2010.  A redesigned Chevy truck is on the horizon in the next 18 months.

The all-new Chevy Cruze was the best-selling car in America in June. In June 2010, the Camry was the best-selling vehicle in Ameica. Camry sales were affected by Japan's earthquake, which has caused severe inventory shortages. A new Camry is on the way this fall. 

The Chevy Malibu is in the last stage of its product cycle and it was the number four best-selling vehicle last month. A sportier designed Malibu will hit the market during the first quarter of 2013. The Honda Accord held the number four spot last June. The Accord was also affected by Japan's earthquake and is expected  for a major redesign next year.

The Ford Escape was the fifth best-selling vehicle this past June, while the Civic held this spot last year. The Civic just received a major redesign. Like the Accord, the Civic has been affected by Japan's earthquake. 

 

Vehicles from "The Detroit 3" (Ford, GM and Chrysler) accounted for 80% of the top 10 best-selling vehicles last month. In June 2010, "The Detroit 3" only had four vehicles in the top 10 spot. If Detroit continues this pace, they could be called the "Big 3" again. Ironically, sales from Toyota and Honda dipped last month, as a result of the disruption in Japan. In a piece we wrote exclusively for BlackEnterprise.com, we warned you earlier that this was going to happen. 

Just wondering: Are American car buyers being more patriotic since they are being forced to switch gears, buying "The Detroit 3" vehicles?  Another theory is that consumers support the recent quality study that "The Detroit 3" are building more reliable vehicles and so consumers are willing to give them a try again.