There are about 18,250 new car dealerships in the United States. They range from the largest multi-store publicly traded companies to small stores serving rural communities across the country. New car dealers employ over two million people, and they are also a very big part of the national fabric as well as the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). In 2018, these dealers sold 11,786,069 new trucks and SUVs, an increase of fully 8 percent in this segment over 2017. They also sold 5,488,181 new passenger cars, a decline of 13 percent from the previous year. The average price of a new vehicle is $36,000. If you multiply 17 million by 36,000, you will see the extent to which new car dealers contribute to the American economy. My calculator doesn’t go that high.
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