Motor vehicles, model year 1996. (analysis of US motor vehicle sales)

New motor vehicle sales rose 1.5% from model year 1995 to 15.5 million units in model year 1996, the highest total in eight years. New car sales fell 0.9% to 8.7 million units in 1996, while new truck sales jumped 4.7% to a record total of 6.8 million units, with light-truck sales recording a 5.3% increase. Domestic car sales rose 2.7% to 7.4 million, while imported car sales fell 17.6% to 1.3 million units. Decreasing unemployment, increasing disposable personal income, and modest increases in new-vehicle prices all helped to create favorable purchasing conditions.