Automobiles of Choice, By State

For John, BLUF:  The environment shapes auto purchases.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

---

From Popular Mechanics "The Unofficial State Cars of America".

Reporter Jake Swearingen claims "We combed through data to find the auto each state secretly loves."

The result for our fair Commonwealth:

In Massachusetts, the Volvo XC70 sells at 305 percent the national average.  Another four Volvo models, the V60 Cross Country, S80, XC90 and XC60, each have market shares equal to more than twice their national market shares.

For our neighbor to the North, New Hampshire, which is suffering from an influx of people from Massachusetts this is the report.♠

In New Hampshire, the Volvo V60 Cross Country sells at 597 percent of the national average.

As for Maine, our former colony, set free in 1820:

In Maine, the Volvo V60 Cross Country sells at 554 percent of the national average. In addition, five Subaru models, including the Impreza, Forester, XV Crosstrek, Outback and Legacy, all have market shares more than twice their national market shares.

Looking immediately South, to Rhode Island:

In Rhode Island, the Hyundai Elantra Coupe sells at 452 percent of the national average. In Rhode Island four Volvo models, including the V60 Cross Country, XC70, S60 and XC60, all sell at a rate more than twice their national averages.

Going Southwest, toward NYC, we have Connecticut:

In Connecticut, the Subaru Impreza sells at 441 percent the national average, while five Volvo models, including the XC70, V60 Cross Country, S80, S60 and XC60, all have market shares in Connecticut more than twice their national averages.

Then there is Vermont:

In Vermont, the Volvo V60 Cross Country sells at 841 percent of the national average.  In Vermont three Volvo models, including the V60 Cross Country, XC70 and S80, each sell at a rate more than four times their respective national averages.

In this quick survey I ignored New York, which is a whole different world, and not really part of New England.  It is obvious from this unofficial survey of sales that New England is Volvo country.

I like Volvos.  We bought one in 1970 and kept it for almost ten years and then gave it to our Daughter, who rolled in onto its top on a dirt road in Alaska.  Fortunately a troop of Soldiers were passing by and rolled it back over.  And it drove back out and you had to look to see the indentation on the roof.♥ 

Me?  I once owned a Morgan +4.♦  Today I drive what my wife drove before her new car.  Works well for me.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  Reminds me of Orange County, California, which was very conservative in the 1950s, and then became fairly progressive in the next two decades, as people moved in from LA County.
♥  We did have it checked out and replaced all the fluids, but it was fine.
♦  Owned it for ten years, but sold it when our Volvo went down for eight weeks.  We had to do a "short block" in Naples, Italy, which took a couple of days, but the original offending part, a pot metal bracket for the distributor, was not available in Italy.  Fortunately I had to go to Oslo, Norway, to give a briefing on TASMO to NATO's Above Water Warfare Working Group (BARBARA) and when I arrived in Oslo I went straight to a Volvo dealer and purchased the needed part for installation upon my return.  But, we couldn't afford, with three teenage sized kids, to be down to a two-seater if the other car broke down.  Fortunately our friends the Tuels helped us out with the loan of their Beetle for part of the time.  Bought a Peugeot station wagon.