Quote:
Originally Posted by Frank Lee
For sure the mfgs willingly went along with the consumer's SUV/PU stupidity. Once the mfgs found they were on to something they promoted the helle out of it.
|
I think you've got the cause & effect backwards. There always were a certain number of SUVs & 4WD pickups built, but it wasn't until Congress gave the auto industry the truck loophole in CAFE &c standards that they started aiming them towards the general consumer market, and it took a heck of a lot of advertising & promotion to bring the market in line. Still takes a lot to keep it there: think about how much advertising content is aimed at selling the idea of SUVs & 4WDs, versus how much goes to selling "our SUV is better than the other guys'".