Manhattan Motoring Moments - 2 of several...

Here's a pretty rare scene in New York City:

Yes, a domestic-branded car, this one a Buick LaCrosse.

Apart from cabs, you don't see many domestic-nameplate passenger cars here.

Anecdotal evidence, true, but on one city block (can't remember exactly where I was, but it was Upper West Side, maybe 86th Street between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues), I saw this Buick, a Dodge Charger, and a early-'80s Mercury Cougar.

That was it.

Oh sure, quite a few domestic SUVs - Jeeps, Ford Explorers - and some minivans.

But otherwise, pretty much all Japanese, German, and a smattering of Swedish (Volvo station wagons seem particularly popular in this neighbourood).

And even that Cougar was probably bought only because it was already parked - the parking spot was surely worth more than the car.

Not that most of these 'foreign' cars were foreign-built - the Toyotas, Hondas and Nissans were probably built either in the States, Canada or Mexico.

But if the domestic brands want a measuring stick of how well they are really doing in the American marketplace, sales in the city of New York might prove to be the bellwether.

Because if you can make it here...

 

 

Comments

[DCR]

Jim, I'm guessing that the only reason you have such a generous -- and exceeding rare -- NYC parking spot is because you nudged into it for 90 seconds to get your pic in front of a fire hydrant.

[John B]

Sadly, you don't see many domestic CARS ANYWHERE, just "SUVs - Jeeps, Ford Explorers - and some minivans". The marketing trend seems to be to switch everyone over to those, for whatever reason. And it's not just domestic cars. You can no longer buy new Volvo station wagons in Canada, only those bloated, jacked-up "crossovers".