Here's one stunning stat that got buried in our quarterly sales reports: Through the first half of 2021, Japanese automakers hold a higher share of the U.S. market than the Detroit 3 do.
The margin isn't much: 39.2 percent vs. 39 percent, according to the Automotive News Research & Data Center. But considering that a landmark shift occurred just 14 years ago, when the Detroit 3 lost its majority stake, those points flew by in a hurry.
Blame the global microchip crisis for the latest drop. Midway through 2020, Ford, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (now Stellantis) had a 44.1 percent share. A year earlier, the figure was 44 percent, showing that the balance of power remained stable during the pandemic shutdowns of early 2020.