Pickups and sport utility vehicles were big sellers under the “cash for clunkers” program, despite the federal government’s focus on replacing gas guzzlers with more fuel-efficient cars.
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As Gene Butman Ford opened its doors Saturday, salesmen outnumbered the shoppers looking at a depleted stock of cars and trucks, and it didn’t appear that many customers were ready to buy.

Like many dealers across the country, the dealership in Ypsilanti Township is suffering from a Cash for Clunkers hangover, and Sales Manager Paul Grahl isn’t sure when it will end.
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A $2 billion tax break that makes the sales tax on most new car purchases deductible through the end of the year will increase auto sales by 94,000 vehicles, a research firm said Friday.

R.L. Polk said it predicted the proposed government incentive — part of a $789 billion stimulus bill expected to pass today — will increase U.S. light vehicle sales by 94,000 in 2009, giving consumers an average rebate of $330 for each new vehicle purchased.
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