A study on the sales performance of automobiles: A case study of the US market

This study employed data envelopment analysis and the Malmquist productivity index (MPI) to measure the sales performance of automobiles in the United States market. Our results indicate the mean efficiency value of pickups was higher than those of SUVs, minivans, and sedans/hatchbacks. The efficiency values of cars costing less than USD 20,000 were relatively low. In terms of changes in productivity, our results reveal that although the overall sales performance of the automobile market increased during the study period, the relevant technologies did not improve, but rather regressed.