Sales of Big SUVs Humming Along in Iraq
03.03.09 |
Americans may have decided they don't need Detroit's version of the Whopper anymore, but automakers have found a big market for gas guzzling SUVs in Iraq. "USA Today" reports young wealthy Iraqis are gobbling up the gluttonous trucks now that security around the nation is not as dicey.
The owner of a dealership called Hummer Cars in eastern Baghdad says "eighteen-year-olds, they buy the Hummer." Not only are they showing off after years of being afraid a high profile vehicle could make the driver a kidnapping target, owners have discovered American vehicles are pretty tough and can manage the potholed streets of Baghdad.
While the Hummer may be the big hit with the younger crowd, Iraqi families are lining up for Jeep Grand Cherokees. A Baghdad businessman, Hazam Bakier, says his regular travels between Baghdad and Basra now look like caravans of American SUVs. At about $1.65 a gallon, gasoline prices aren't a big problem in Iraq.
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