Who could have foreseen....

The government's "cash for clunkers" program is off to a rousing start, almost immediately running out of money because it was so popular. And why not? Who wouldn't want to get between $3500 and $4500 for turning in their rusted maroon 1980 Acura CL? And what are Americans doing with their new wad of cash they got for their lemon? Throwing a lemon party? No, they're doing what Americans do best: buying foreign cars.

Four of the five top-selling cars in the government's "Cash for Clunkers" program are made by foreign automakers, according to new data released Tuesday by federal transportation officials.
...
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said 157,000 trades had occurred as of Tuesday morning, eating up $664 million of the $1 billion appropriated for the effort.

More than 80 percent of the vehicles turned in were trucks and sport-utility vehicles, the government said. The top-selling new car is the Ford Focus, followed by the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Toyota Prius and Toyota Camry. The new vehicles on average get 25.4 miles per gallon, compared with an average of 15.8 mpg for the trade-ins.

Well we at least got one of the top five. USA! USA! USA! Congrats Ford, that's why the government didn't have to buy you and build you a secret underground base so you could hide from your creditors. Still though, I'm mildly surprised in the American people. I was just assuming they use their $4500 to buy a F-150 or the Chevy Suburban with the deluxe truck nutz and a horn that honks "Git 'er done!" They actually traded them in for fuel efficient cars. Well done. The environment thanks you and the nation of Japan thanks you.

GM is making a rude gesture at you. Well, most of you. It does want to thank the one guy who used his cash to buy a GM car, but otherwise it has converted it's assembly lines to start in the production of 'defecated in cardboard boxes' for mass delivery to the US public-at-large. You don't deserve GM's love.