Americans scrapped more vehicles than they bought over 15-month period

For the 15 months that ended in September, Americans scrapped 1.2 million more vehicles than they bought, a historical first, according to a company that has tracked car-owning patterns since 1948.

More than 14.8 million cars and light trucks were crushed or recycled in that period, while consumers registered 13.6 million new vehicles, according to R.L. Polk & Co.

“It foreshadows what may be pent-up demand. The assumption is that those vehicles have to be replaced,” said Lonnie Miller, Polk’s vice president for marketing and industry analysis.

Gardner writes for the Detroit Free Press / McClatchy.