Numerous Nameplates to Miss Sales Milestone

The 100,000-unit club is shrinking.

An analysis of Ward’s data indicates 2009 likely will see about half as many light-vehicle nameplates achieve the magical 100,000-unit full-year sales milestone as the U.S. market witnessed in 2004.

This outcome is not surprising in a climate marked by a 25.3% drop in deliveries, year over year, through October. But the psychological effect of missing the mark is unavoidable.

“The 100k threshold is like the stock market’s ...