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47% of first 80,000 'cash for clunkers' sales from American brands

 
2 1,033 views Aug 3, 2009

The 2010 Ford Focus led the way among the initial round of cars bought to replace turned-in clunkers

The 2010 Ford Focus led the way among the initial round of cars bought to replace turned-in clunkers

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Ford may be the only American carmaker reporting a rise in sales for July, but Detroit's beleaguered trio didn't fare too badly - almost half of the fuel-efficient upgrades sold in the CARS 'cash for clunkers' bonanza were GM, Ford or Chrysler vehicles, according to the White House.

Only little over 80,000 of the clunkers deals have been processed by the NHTSA so far, with the American carmakers claiming 47% of the take. It will take a while - possibly months - for the final tally to be released, but the early numbers could be a good sign for the Detroit 3.

Another $2 billion in funding is expected to be added to the CARS till once the Senate takes action on the bill approved by the House last week, but in the mean time, the Obama administration has guaranteed the program will remain functional. Should the Senate vote down the extra money, however, the program will most likely cease immediately.

The 47% role of the American brands in the CARS haul is about 2% greater than their combined market share, reports The Detroit News, meaning they've effectively snatched some of that deficit back from the foreign marques.

Coming out a particular winner was Ford's Focus compact, which was the most popular vehicle chosen among the first 80,000 claims.

President Barack Obama released a statement on Friday calling for swift Senate action to keep the program alive as a key part of the ongoing economic recovery.
"This program has been an overwhelming success, allowing consumers to trade in their less fuel efficient cars for a credit to buy more fuel efficient new models....The program has proven to be a successful part of our economic recovery and will help lessen our dangerous dependence on foreign oil, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving the quality of the air we breathe," said the President. "I urge the Senate to act with the American consumers in mind to pass this important legislation."



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Comments (2)

  1. ma_bepsf avatar bepsf Posted: 8/3/2009 3:11pm PDT

    One of the worst You-Tube Cash-4-Clunkers videos is that of an immaculate 1st Gen Volvo S80 being destroyed - It appears that it could have gone another 200K miles and was easily worth more than $4500...
    ...I sincerely doubt that car was turned in for a Focus.
     
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  2. ma_jwhenry avatar jwhenry Posted: 8/4/2009 11:43pm PDT

    Yes, Your vehicle must be less than 25 years old on the trade-in date

    Henry
    Blogger
    www.cashforclunkersfacts.info
    http://www.cashforclunkersfacts.info
     
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