Light Vehicle Market Shares, Model Years 1975–2012

In 1975, cars were by far the dominant vehicle style among new light vehicle sales, with a few vans and pickup trucks. Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) accounted for less than 2% of the market at that time. As SUVs increased in popularity, the share of cars decreased proportionally. The increase in vans beginning in the mid 1980s and through 2000 reflects new popular minivan models that were brought to market, but sales of vans have been declining in recent years. The sharp drop in car sales in 2011 was likely a result of the tsunami that occurred in Japan which constrained supplies of popular car models from Japanese manufacturers.