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How Many Cars Sold in The US Per Year | Total Annual Vehicle Sales

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“How many cars sold in the US per year?” is a common question among industry analysts, car buyers, sellers, and automotive businesses. If you have been wondering what the sales trend in the US market looks like now, you have come to the right article. Let’s take a look at the current stats and sales figures!

How Many Cars Sold in The US Per Year | Total Annual Vehicle Sales

January’s passenger car sales are looking quite promising with a 1.4% increase and SUV and truck sales increased also by 2.4%. According to Cox Automotive, we should be expecting up to 15.7 million sales of new cars in the US in 2024. Let’s keep watching the trend. For now, we will look at the historical trends and growth patterns in the next section.

Motor Vehicle Sales in the US: Historical Trends and Growth Patterns

As you can see from the chart above, auto sales in the US are not always predictable. There are months where we see passenger car sales peak and others where it all just comes down to record lows. This has been the case since 1951.

In the post-World War II era, car ownership became increasingly common, leading to an increase in sales throughout the 1960s. These were good times to be a car manufacturer as up to 9.6 million cars were sold in 1968.

However, sales decreased shortly after. The oil crisis of 1973 led to fuel shortages and skyrocketing prices, causing a sharp decline in car sales from 11.42 million to 8.85 million cars produced within 12 months as consumers sought out more fuel-efficient options in 1974.

Despite this setback, the industry rebounded in the 1980s to 11.41 million new car sales by introducing innovative models and marketing strategies. From here, sadly, there was a steady decrease in the number of monthly sales in the US and it went on year after year.

Things started to look bright in 2014 with up to 7.71 million new vehicle sales in the US but COVID came soon after and this brought sales down to 2.86 million cars in 2022. Note that these numbers do not include light vehicle sales.

Here’s a chart for a more detailed overview of historical trends and automotive sales volume:

Motor Vehicle Sales in the US: Historical Trends and Growth Patterns​

Factors Affecting How Many Cars Sold in The US Per Year

Now, you may be wondering why car volume yearly isn’t as stable as it should be. Even if it doesn’t remain constant yearly, it shouldn’t be as low as it was in 2022, right? So what factors affect car sales in the US?

Economic Conditions

The state of the economy plays a crucial role in determining consumer spending habits and the cars sold in US per year. During economic growth and low unemployment rates, consumers are more likely to purchase new vehicles. Conversely, during economic downturns or recessions, consumers may postpone big-ticket purchases like cars, leading to a decline in sales.

Interest Rates

Interest rates directly impact the affordability of car financing. When interest rates are low, financing a car becomes more attractive, and many new cars are sold. Conversely, higher interest rates can deter consumers from taking out loans for new vehicles, resulting in decreased sales.

Fuel Prices

Fluctuations in fuel prices can influence consumer preferences for vehicle types and in turn influence how many cars sold in the US per year. During periods of high fuel prices, there is often greater demand for fuel-efficient vehicles such as hybrids and electric cars. Conversely, lower fuel prices may drive demand for larger, less fuel-efficient vehicles like SUVs and trucks.

Regulatory Environment

Government regulations regarding emissions standards, safety requirements, and fuel efficiency targets can impact the types of vehicles available for sale and their associated costs. Compliance with regulatory mandates may necessitate changes in vehicle design and production, affecting sales volumes and pricing.

Technological Advancements

Advances in automotive technology, such as improvements in fuel efficiency, safety features, and connectivity, can influence consumer purchasing decisions. Vehicles equipped with the latest technology may command higher sales volumes, particularly among tech-savvy consumers.

READ ALSO: Car Data API: What is it and Why is it Important? (Explained)

Current State of the US Automotive Sales Market

Now that we have taken a good look at how many cars sold in US per year, let’s check out some interesting statistics. Do you know which brands and vehicle types hold the highest market share?

2023 USA Car Sales Report (Light-Vehicles Inclusive)

AutomakerQuarterSold AutosUSA Rank
GM
Q1603,2081
Q2691,9781
Q3674,3361
Q4625,1761
YTD2,594,6981
Toyota
Q1469,5582
Q2568,9622
Q3590,2962
Q4619,6612
YTD2,248,4772
Ford
Q1465,9723
Q2541,6623
Q3500,5043
Q4487,8403
YTD1,995,9783
Hyundai Kia
Q1382,3544
Q2420,3615
Q3416,3274
Q4433,7794
YTD1,652,8214
Stellantis
Q1370,3475
Q2434,6484
Q3380,5635
Q4343,5525
YTD1,529,1105
Honda
Q1284,5076
Q2347,0256
Q3339,1436
Q4337,5116
YTD1,308,1866
Nissan
Q1235,8187
Q2244,3537
Q3216,8787
Q4201,7477
YTD898,7967
Tesla
Q1181,0008
Q2173,0008
Q3157,00010
Q4144,00010
YTD655,0008
Subaru
Q1143,3769
Q2160,71610
Q3163,1318
Q4164,8639
YTD632,0869
VW
Q1138,41610
Q2166,3309
Q3157,0119
Q4170,2338
YTD631,99010
BMW
Q189,79511
Q287,94813
Q391,84911
Q4126,14911
YTD395,74111
Mazda
Q188,37912
Q295,39912
Q388,83913
Q490,73712
YTD363,35412
Mercedes
Q180,00013
Q296,01911
Q390,01112
Q490,01413
YTD351,74513
Volvo
Q126,48314
Q233,26714
Q332,37514
Q436,57614
YTD128,70114
Mitsubishi
Q120,93815
Q224,60215
Q322,19615
Q419,60416
YTD87,34015
Jaguar Land Rover
Q120,10016
Q215,47116
Q318,54516
Q426,01715
YTD80,13316
Rivian
Q17,94617
Q212,64017
Q315,56417
Q413,97217
YTD50,12217
Total Car Sales in 2023
Q13,603,898 
Q24,114,381 
Q33,954,568 
Q43,931,431 
YTD15,604,278

“Auto Industry Sales Report | USA | Car Sales Data by Quarter.”

Empower Your Automotive Business with Vehicle Databases

Now that you have accurate statistics on new and used car sales in the US, you can understand consumer behavior based on these trends and use this to improve your business services and efficiency. But it doesn’t end there.

We provide a Sales History API that can be used to gain insights into the sales history of any vehicle with images of the vehicle if available. With this API, your business can have full access to the

  • Sale price of any vehicle
  • Seller type
  • Features of vehicles
  • Seller description
  • High-resolution images.

We closely monitor the sales across all states and cities and can provide you with the market value and sales history of over 31 million vehicles.

Having access to accurate information in the automotive industry gives you and your business a competitive edge over others.

Here are some Application Programming Interfaces you can integrate into your application or website to access vehicle records accurately:

  • OCR API Services
  • VIN Decoding API
  • Classic VIN Decoder API
  • Vehicle Specification API
  • Vehicle Market value API
  • Vehicle Services API
  • License Plate API
  • Auction History API
  • Sales History API
  • VIN Title Check API
  • Vehicle Media API
  • Window Sticker API
  • Electric Vehicle Specifications API

Sign up now with Vehicle Databases and have all the power you need to take your business to the next level.

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