CarpeDiem With Data Points on Automobile Industry, Rail Cars

Link here to CarpeDiem.

Sometimes the comments are more interesting than the story; it is amazing how some folks ... but I digress.

The linked article suggests that there is a shortage of rail cars for transporting automobiles.

One item that caught my attention was the volatility in monthly automobile and light truck manufacturing annualized:

• the current annualized US motor vehicle assemblies: 10.7 million units
• this is the highest monthly production level since August, 2007
• the current annualized rate is three times -- repeat, three times -- the recessionar low of 3.7 million units in January, 2009
• at the current rate, the rate should get to 11 million in a few months; 12 million units by the end of this year

Remember: the Chinese are buying automobiles at a clip to exceed 15 million units on an annualized basis, exceeding that of the US.