Michael Robinet, director of global production forecasts for researcher IHS Automotive, said Thursday that he expects American domestic auto sales to rebound to more than 17 million units sold annually by 2015. The Detroit Free Press reports:
Robinet, who made his remarks during a presentation to the Automotive Press Association in Detroit, said he expects pent-up demand, combined with a growing U.S. population and aging baby boomers with discretionary income, will cause sales to increase in the coming years.
He expects sales will exceed 12.8 million next year and 16 million in 2013 before reaching 17 million in 2015.
By way of comparison, total domestic auto sales in 2009 were 9.5 million. Prior to that, sales had been above 15 million units sold for 11 straight years.