Hyperdrive

As Car-Lot Inventories Dwindle, Sales Take a Turn for the Worse

  • Global semiconductor shortage now taking a toll on auto supply
  • Post-pandemic demand surge is driving car prices above $40,000
A 2021 Chevrolet Silverado at a dealership in East Moline, Illinois, on May 3.Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg
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A year ago, Ford Motor Co. dealer Rhett Ricart had a lot full of cars and hardly any customers. This year, he has a lot full of customers and hardly any cars.

“I’ve never seen anything like this in my 40-some years in the automobile business,” said Ricart, who also sells Nissan Motor Co. and other brands at his Columbus, Ohio, dealership. “The Ford F-Series is in huge short supply. Everything is. I don’t care if it’s imports, or domestics, or luxury cars -- they all are.”