Fact #281: August 18, 2003
Historical Light Vehicle Market Share
More than half of light vehicles sold in the United States in 2002 were light trucks, which include sport utility vehicles, pickups, and vans. The graph below shows that the shift in market share from cars to light trucks began in the early 1980s.
Light Vehicle Market Share, 1976–2002
Supporting Information
| Year | Cars | Light Trucks |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 80.1% | 19.9% |
| 1977 | 80.8% | 19.2% |
| 1978 | 79.0% | 21.0% |
| 1979 | 79.4% | 20.6% |
| 1980 | 80.4% | 19.6% |
| 1980 | 80.4% | 19.6% |
| 1982 | 78.2% | 21.8% |
| 1983 | 76.5% | 23.5% |
| 1984 | 73.9% | 26.1% |
| 1985 | 72.1% | 27.9% |
| 1986 | 71.0% | 29.0% |
| 1987 | 69.4% | 30.6% |
| 1988 | 68.6% | 31.4% |
| 1989 | 68.1% | 31.9% |
| 1990 | 67.1% | 32.9% |
| 1991 | 67.4% | 32.6% |
| 1992 | 64.9% | 35.1% |
| 1993 | 62.4% | 37.6% |
| 1994 | 60.9% | 39.1% |
| 1995 | 59.5% | 40.5% |
| 1996 | 58.1% | 41.9% |
| 1997 | 55.9% | 44.1% |
| 1998 | 53.1% | 46.9% |
| 1999 | 51.9% | 48.1% |
| 2000 | 51.9% | 48.1% |
| 2001 | 50.9% | 49.1% |
| 2002 | 49.0% | 51.0% |
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Note: Light vehicles are less than 8,500 lb gross vehicle weight rating. | ||
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