Automotive Loan Trends are quite fun to study. There is no more interesting trend than the zero-zero auto loans of 2001-2003. But these types of no money down loans were found in many competing markets for consumer purchases. The cars boats and barbecues were bought with credit cards and short-term loans. The cars were bought because of the zero, zero percent financing deals from companies such as Chrysler motor acceptance Corp., Ford Motor credit, GMAC, Toyota motor credit and Honda acceptance.
One company, Mitsubishi even offered zero, zero, zero, in other words no money down, no payments until 2003 and no interest. They were able to do this because the Japanese yen fell to a point Well below the U.S. dollar. This of course had other ramifications, with the Japanese imports being able to sell for less, their profit margins were higher any were able to build new manufacturing facilities, spend more money on research and development in the latest technologies of fuel cell and highbred vehicles and spend more money on promotion; and that is exactly what they did. Since this was happening at the same time that the Chinese were pirating our patented parts;
and products being made in China and selling them in the U.S. and stores like Wal-Mart we saw a near collapse of the auto parts and aftermarket auto accessories companies corporations, the big ones such as Delphi. We saw Ford Motor Co. look at their overall market mix and Ford Jr. decided that that they should stick with their core business, and it would have to be determined if parts would make the cut. What saved the auto industry, was going to the zero, zero strategy which it worked for them in the early '90s, they used the exact same playbook and it worked, well almost as the loan delinquency rates were expected to reach as high as 6-7% like that of credit cards during the same period. And Thank God it did because it saves cities with larger sales tax revenues and some larger cities with jobs, which it had large auto production facilities in the area.
While many other industries had suffered a huge blow after nine-eleven we in the automotive Trends sector made it through the storm. Many people who bought cars on zero-zero, did not really have the money to do it, today we are seeing the fallout of many short-term loans from consumers who should not bought vehicles all. It is a known fact that when people think they might lose their job, they go out and buy all things that they want before they lose that job. If you don't believe me go to an auto auction and you take a look at the number of new and we really are talking brand-new cars there being auctioned off and you will see what I'm talking about. These people who bought cars they could not afford, did not to spend the amount of dollars that were anticipated on aftermarket auto accessories. Think on this as you go car shopping