The link between gasoline prices and vehicle sales:economic theory trumps conventional Detroit wisdom

Walter McManus

MPRA Paper from University Library of Munich, Germany

Abstract: This paper examines the link between fuel prices and sales of cars and trucks. U.S. automakers have long denied that such a link exists. One source of this false belief is an obsession with the crude count of units sold, equating Hummers with Minis. Another source is the conventional “wisdom” that Americans are unwilling to pay for fuel economy. The paper presents theoretical reasons and market evidence that refute Detroit’s conventional wisdom. American manufacturers’ reaction to rising fuel prices over the last few years revealed the shortcomings of the U.S. automakers’ recent product and powertrain strategies. The effect of rising fuel prices has, in effect, been offset by reducing prices of vehicles in inverse proportion to fuel economy. Thus, unit sales of large SUVs could be maintained, but their revenue (and profit) fell because vehicle prices were cut, directly or indirectly. The paper concludes with a few practical guidelines that business economists should use to prevent their companies from experiencing the recent massive losses experienced by the U.S. automobile industry.

Keywords: automotive industry; fuel prices; vehicle sales; American automakers (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L62 M21 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2007-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ene
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

Published in Business Economics 1.42(2007): pp. 54-60

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:pra:mprapa:3463

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