Search online for "Cash for Clunkers," and here's one thing you'll find: stories about its negligible overall impact on the economy.
Wrong, says Maritz Automotive Research Group. The Toledo, Ohio, independent automotive research company recently surveyed participants in last summer’s federal program designed to stimulate new-car sales and get gas-guzzlers off the road. On Tuesday, the company shared its results.
One key finding: 90 percent of those participating in Cash for Clunkers said they would not otherwise have bought a new car. Link
According to federal government data, 677,000 purchases were made through Cash for Clunkers from late July through August. Maritz’s research showed that 542,000 were incremental new car or truck sales, meaning those purchases would not have occurred without the incentives. Previous estimates by industry analysts put the incremental sales figure between 125,000 and 346,00.
