Where are the Clunker Numbers?

It is an interesting question. All we know for sure is that the numbers have not yet been released despite assurances by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood that he "can't think of any reason why we wouldn't do it."

It would be easy to jump to the conclusion that the numbers are not as glowing as the government would like us to believe and that the numbers need to be concealed until after another $2 billion is pumped into the program. I think a more likely explanation is that the government has no idea yet what the numbers are despite the fact they firmly believe the program is a major success.

When all is said and done I believe the domestic auto sales bump from the initial $1 billion given to the program will amount to approximately 10,000-15,000 units. (The rest of the units are manufactured by foreign owned companies or are of vehicles that would have sold even without the incentives.)

Unfortunately we will never know which numbers are real and which are fiction until the DOT gives us the statistics. Until then we can just speculate.