People age 50+ buy half of ttl US car sales

[wildcat]

The story in the 10/24/05 issue states, "Americans who are 50 years old and older make up 39 percent of the nation's adult population. But they will account for half of U.S. auto sales this year. That share will increase to 53 percent by 2010, predicts Art Spinella, president of CNW Marketing/Research Inc., a consulting company in Bandon, Ore."

Buick often bears the brunt of jokes about how the average age of its buyers is [ fill in your choice of jokes, such as "dead" ]. But the Rendezvous showed new Buicks can lower the demographics (didn't Rendezvous owners average 58 or so?). So that's perfect if Buick can skew slightly younger with its new product, zeroing in on 45 to 59 year olds. But it still worries me that the industry trend at the moment is smaller vehicles - so I think that Buick needs something small, too.

[regfootball]

the LaCrosse is small enough.

[Dsuupr]

I agree that a small Buick would be a smart move. Those same people that are purchasing the majority of cars are the ones retiring and needing something to put behind their motorhomes. There is no reason Buick couldn't build the BEST small car around with luxury features others wouldn't consider.

[Cremazie]

I agree that a small Buick would be a smart move.  Those same people that are purchasing the majority of cars are the ones retiring and needing something to put behind their motorhomes. 

There is no reason Buick couldn't build the BEST small car around with luxury features others wouldn't consider.

[post="33260"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

But not like Acura in Canada and their Wood grained Civic. Oh it's ooh so bad!

[evok]

I have had meetings with auto executives and their research says follow the money. aka the baby boomers. They are at the peak of their earning power. They also grew up on Honda's and Toyota's. See a trend?

[wildcat]

If Buick is now said to be aiming for Acura, I hope that the next-generation LaCrosse shrinks, to be a Buick competitor to the Acura TL or TSX. In other words, something needs to be distinctive about each of Buick's 4-door models - they can't all be big, conservative 4-door sedans. How about one (the flagship?) offered in AWD, or one in a coupe variation?

Dsuupr: Thank you for your input.

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

Of course 50+ are going to make up half of domestic auto sales... The reason being that domestics sell MOSTLY big, expensive, vehicles (Remember: Detroit believed they couldn't make money on smaller cars for years) and because older people hold most of the wealth. Not to mention Detroit still sells the majority of cars in America... These spin-tatic studies (No doubt created and spun to create negativity for Detroit) are nice, but lets use a little common sense here people. This story gets a big fat drooling DUUUUUUUHHHHHH.....

[evok]

Of course 50+ are going to make up half of domestic auto sales...

The reason being that domestics sell MOSTLY big, expensive, vehicles (Remember: Detroit believed they couldn't make money on smaller cars for years) and because older people hold most of the wealth.

Not to mention Detroit still sells the majority of cars in America...

These spin-tatic studies (No doubt created and spun to create negativity for Detroit) are nice, but lets use a little common sense here people.

This story gets a big fat drooling DUUUUUUUHHHHHH.....

[post="33379"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

I believe you have taken this out of context.

"The story in the 10/24/05 issue states, "Americans who are 50 years old and older make up 39 percent of the nation's adult population. But they will account for half of U.S. auto sales this year. That share will increase to 53 percent by 2010, predicts Art Spinella, president of CNW Marketing/Research Inc., a consulting company in Bandon, Ore."

This simply has to do with market demographics. That number will continue to rise until the next generation has the buying power of the baby bomers.

[razoredge]

OK, good points by many. Especially the one made by FOG, it is really "ah duh". Dsuppr - YES we need a tight light Buick. All class with lots of ass. I will be continueing to campagne for such a car. It would be much more appropriate for a classy Buick to go after some BMW sales. As for the older percentage, I believe theres a few reasons not mentioned. Im 47 incidently, but I dont buy new and not sure if I ever will, its a tax bracket issue. Anyhow - For one perhaps we dont blindly follow the crowd and have no problems finding value, reliability and comfort that according to status quo doesnt exist in Domestics. Then I think you'll find a higher percentage of patriotism in some of us that have been watching all this importation of product and exportation of jobs. I know many that have come full circle on this, once driveing imports but now will not. Of course there are the others that are still crossing over. Now with "globaliagation" it will be even more popular to by imports because you will be doing the global thing -toot toot.

[Cory Wolfe]

Yet Pontiac still outsells Buick? That's surprising...