For the first time ever, Californians bought more cars and trucks from Japanese automakers than domestic ones in 2006, according to the California Motor Car Dealers Association. By the end of the week, state residents will have bought 938,839 Japanese brand vehicles and 859,206 from the Big Three.
That gives Japanese automakers a 44.8 percent share of the California market, compared with 41.0 percent for the American nameplates. Nationally GM, Ford and Chrysler have a 53.9 percent share of the U.S. market, while Japanese brands have a 34.8 percent share.
