WardsAuto American Vehicle Report: 2007 - 2012

The WardsAuto American Vehicle Report: 2007 - 2012, tracks trends and changes in powertrain, vehicle structure, equipment installations and other technologies from the 2007 to 2012 Model Years.

U.S. automakers sold 16.1 million light vehicles (LVs) in 2007, marking the ninth consecutive year of annual LV deliveries in excess of 16 million. In 2008, the financial crisis sent auto sales plummeting. In 2009, two of the world's largest automakers entered bankruptcy and U.S. LV sales fell to a 27-year low.

While the U.S. auto industry went on to play a key role in the nation’s overall economic recovery over the next several years, annual sales in 2012 still lagged 2007 sales by more than 10%.

And yet, during a period of recession and restructuring, U.S. light vehicles became increasingly fuel efficient, more geared toward safety and powered by more diverse means than at any other time in history.