Changes in Motor Vehicle Buyer Attitudes and Market Behavior

Green, Paul E.; Rogers, Peter W. · 1980 · ROSA P / United States. Department of Transportation. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

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Summary

This 1980 report, prepared for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), assesses the impact of fuel-efficient design changes—specifically vehicle downsizing—on motor vehicle buyer attitudes and market behavior. Motivated by the Energy Conservation Act of 1975, which mandated increasing Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards, the study investigates whether the industry’s shift toward smaller, lighter vehicles distorted consumer preferences or market segments. The research aims to determine if these technological changes resulted in market rejection or significant shifts in buyer demographics and satisfaction. The study utilizes a proprietary database of 101,948 passenger car buyers and 24,401 light truck buyers from model years 1976 through 1979. Researchers employed multivariate discriminant analysis to compare buyer profiles before and after specific downsizing events for major domestic manufacturers, including General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler. The analysis examined 32 variables, including car attribute preferences, evaluative ratings, fuel economy perceptions, and demographic characteristics. Additionally, the study analyzed segment positioning maps to track changes in market composition, owner loyalty, and sales sources across nine car segments. The findings indicate that buyers of downsized vehicles differed significantly from those purchasing pre-downsized models. Buyers of downsized cars selected fewer cylinders and fewer options such as automatic transmissions, power brakes, and air conditioning. They rated their vehicles higher on roominess and reliability but lower on styling and transmission smoothness. Demographically, early adopters of downsized cars were older, more educated, had higher incomes, and were more likely to hold managerial or professional occupations. They also owned more vehicles per household. Trend analysis suggests that these demographic distinctions attenuated in subsequent model years as the market normalized. In the truck sector, compact truck buyers were younger, better educated, and achieved significantly higher fuel economy than full-size truck buyers. Diesel engine adopters in both cars and trucks were typically older males with higher incomes who prioritized fuel economy over transmission smoothness. The study concludes that domestic manufacturers successfully introduced more fuel-efficient vehicles in model years 1977–1979 without causing major distortions in buyer attitudes or segment positioning. The new designs were well-received, and the market composition remained stable. The report suggests that while initial buyers of downsized cars represented an upscale, innovative segment, the broader market adapted without significant disruption, validating the economic practicability of the fuel economy standards.

Key finding

Buyers of downsized vehicles were significantly older, more educated, and higher-income than buyers of non-downsized vehicles, and they rated downsized cars higher on roominess and reliability while accepting lower fuel economy options.

Methodology

dataset

Sample size: 126349

Provenance

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Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

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• acceptance adoption