The slow death of the U.S. auto industry

[OnlinePoker]

In April (the last month available), domestic auto production was 203,000 vehicles. This is down from a post recession peak of 395,000 in July 2015 and just over 40% of the level produced in April 1999.

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/DAUPSA

And it's not that vehicles aren't being sold. Total annualized vehicle sales for the same period have been between 17 and 18 million. They just aren't being made in the U.S. to the same level anymore.

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/TOTALSA

[democratisphere]

1. This slow death extends to a significant percentage of US

manufacturing companies.

[sandensea]

2. To be fair, that data does exclude truck/van/SUV output

U.S. auto production was just 2.8 million units in 2018 - but "commercial vehicles" (i.e. everything from a crossover SUV to a big Mack 18-wheeler) added another 8.5 million.

http://www.oica.net/category/production-statistics/2018-statistics/

Still, and as you noted, the auto industry has fallen far behind demand, such that while 2018 output was virtually unchanged from 1965 levels (a good year), we've gone from covering around 98% of our own market, to 64% today.

So while the U.S. auto industry's decline hasn't been that dramatic, it's certainly there in relative terms:

The U.S made 46% of the world's motor vehicles in '65 - but just 12% today. And of course a lot more of our own production is of foreign brands.

A 1965 Ford Falcon station wagon. They don't make'em like they used to (thank goodness?).