For the first in automotive history, the United States has lost, for good or for bad, its stature as the leading country of yearly automobile sales. According to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, a record 13.6 million cars were sold in China in 2009.
China’s target sales for 2009 was 1o million units. The 2009 annual sales in United States was 10.4 million cars and light trucks. It was in lowest level in the U.S. in 27 years.
The Chinese tally also included 650,000 in large trucks sales.
According to automotive analysts in China, demand is so high, many buyers having to wait at least several weeks to get their purchases.
The top-10 selling cars in China in 2009:
1. Buick Excelle; 2. New Hyundai Elantra; 3. Volkswagen Jetta; 4. BYD F3; 5. Volkswagen Santana; 6. Old Hyundia Elantra; 7. Chery QQ; 8. Xia Li; 9. Honda Accord; 10. Toyota Camry.
Top-10 selling in the United States in 2009:
1. Ford F-Series; 2. Toyota Camry; 3. Chevrolet Silverado; 4. Toyota Corolla; 5. Honda Accord; 6. Honda Civic; 7. Nissan Altima; 8. Honda CR-V; 9. Ford Fusion, 10. Dodge Ram.
Article Last Updated: January 14, 2010.
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A sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004.
In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut Creek, Calif., and monthly auto review and wellness columns for Gulfshore Business, a magazine in Southwest Florida.
An author and contributor to many newspapers, magazines and online publications, co-hosted The Weekly Driver Podcast from 2017 to 2024.
