Americans bought 1.7 million automobiles in August
According to the Wall Street Journal (subscription required):
American consumers bought an amazing 1.7 million automobiles in August, 13% ahead of last year. Just one startling auto-sales fact among many: Two years to the month after the Ford Explorer-Firestone safety scandal exploded in the national media, Ford sold 51,000 Explorer sport utilities -- a record for any single SUV model, any time, anywhere. So much for the gurus who pronounced the Explorer brand dead (and so much for the safety and environmental advocates hoping to shame us all out of SUV Fever.) Show America a five-year, 0% financing deal and all is forgiven.