Thinking American, buying Asian

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You’d never know it from the August sales numbers, but Americans say they actually are more interested in buying cars from Detroit than from a foreign manufacturer.

A survey released today by Consumer Reports finds that ‘ ‘Buy American’ resonates strongly with new car shoppers.”

According to the national survey, 81% of respondents looking to buy a new car are likely to consider a domestic brand. That was significantly higher than the 47% of new car shoppers who were considering an Asian brand or the 46% considering European models.

The survey was released the day after August auto sales reports showed Asian carmakers had captured their largest share ever of the U.S. market — 52.3%. The share of the traditional Detroit Three — GM, Ford and Chrysler — fell to a dismal 41%.

Much of that was due to Asian automakers’ dominance of the ‘cash for clunkers’ program, which favored companies that produce fuel-efficient vehicles. But it still makes you wonder if Americans are prepared to put their money where their collective mouth is.

Among the U.S. nameplates, Ford gained the most ground in new-car buyer consideration, followed by GM. Chrysler actually fell sharply. Both GM and Chrysler went through bankruptcy this year and also accepted federal bailout funds.

“The Detroit Three have been in the spotlight all year,” said Rik Paul, Consumer Reports’ automotive editor. “Ford was the only one of the Detroit Three that did not seek federal assistance, and this has likely helped bolster its reputation among car buyers.”

Ominously for auto executives, whether they be in Detroit, Toyota City or Wolfsburg, was the survey’s finding that only 9% of those interviewed are likely to buy a car in the next year. That’s less than half of the percentage (19%) of new-car buyers in the magazine’s June 2008 survey, suggesting that a market rebound is still a ways off.

The survey was conducted July 30-Aug. 3, and involved telephone interviews with a nationwide sample of 1,777 adults whose household owns at least one vehicle.

-- Martin Zimmerman