With the Cash for Clunkers program officially deceased, results indicate that the biggest winners in the program’s aftermath were Japanese and Korean automakers. As the Detroit Big Three suffered from bankruptcy and negative consumer perceptions, it seems that a potential $4,500 rebate wasn’t enough to make help GM or Chrysler gain any market share.

Automakers that found the Cash for Clunkers program particularly beneficial were Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and Hyundai as they were able to draw customers away from gas guzzling SUVs and trucks and towards their fuel efficient offerings.

Import manufactures dominated U.S. sales through the duration of the Cash for Clunkers program, which helped drive customers in to showrooms across the country including Nissan O’Fallon. Additionally, cars naturally outsold trucks by a margin of 2 to 1. Out of the Big Three, Ford was the only manufacturer to hold market share during this period, thanks to demand for the Ford Escape compact crossover and the Ford Focus compact.

General Motors and Chrysler both lost ground to import automakers. Initially, the program spurred demand for new domestic models among 2009 Dodge Challenger Dallas dealers. During these initial weeks of the program, compact vehicles and sedans saw strong sales among Cleveland Chevy Cobalt dealers, but poor inventory availability at numerous dealerships hampered sales momentum.

Total auto sales under the Cash for Clunkers program came just shy of 700,000 units. Total rebates came in at $2.87 billion. The rest of the program’s $3 billion will be used for administrated costs. Toyota was the big winner during the Cash for Clunkers program with a reported 19.4 percent market share, with Honda coming in at 13 percent. Chrysler experienced a substantial hit due to dwindling inventories stemming from halted manufacturing operations as well as a lineup saturated by trucks and SUVs. Thanks to robust warranties and unique incentives, Manchester Hyundai saw a healthy spike in first-time Hyundai buyers as well. Despite the program’s ability to spark interest in new cars, Used Cars MA still witnessed healthy demand for affordable late model pre-owned vehicles and expects that demand to only increase in the aftermath of Cash for Clunkers.

Certainly the Cash for Clunkers program created new customers for Japanese and Korean brands. It will be interesting to see whether they will be able to retain these new customers as the Big Three attempt to regain lost ground.

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With new 2010 cars arriving in showrooms, perhaps dealers will be able to hold onto momentum.

Following the intense influx of new car sales that were spurred by the seemingly doomed Cash for Clunkers program, the program has officially ended Monday, leaving many showrooms around the country void of new car buyers once again.

Some in the car business are expecting a bit of a “hangover” effect from the close of the Cash for Clunkers program, where sales will begin to dwindle once again as they were prior to the program’s launch. As of Monday, a dealer specializing in San Luis Obispo used cars says about 625,000 Cash for Clunkers applications were submitted by dealers, accounting for about $2.58 billion.

Although the program has officially ended, the Department of Transportation has given dealers a little more time in getting rebate applications submitted for processing. Meanwhile, many dealers such as Toyota dealers Boston have been inundated with new car sales, particularly since the announcement that the program was to end early.

While some dealers wrap up last minute rebate submissions, others are not looking forward to the program’s aftermath. In a time when car sales have reached dismal lows, some such as World Hyundai Matteson fears that sales could drop off dramatically. Even automotive website Edmunds.com has projected a 40 percent drop in sales immediately following the close of the program.

Inventory is a huge problem for many dealers. There are simply not many cars left in showrooms, leaving prices high for consumers. This will leave many consumers disappointed in the near term, but there is still hope suggests a used Honda Pittsburgh dealer. Automakers are beginning to awake, and are adding shifts at plants to produce more cars and fill depleted inventories among dealers. Additionally, with a new model year approaching, all-new models and fresh products will soon be available to showrooms, to entice buyers that have been disappointed recently by the poor selection on dealer lots. Although a renewed interest in new cars may be coming soon, one used car dealer Washington DC is expecting used car demand to rise again in the near-term.

With new cars and new inventories arriving soon, incentives and car buyers may be plentiful once again.

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Giving money away is certainly one of the best ways to stimulate a frenzy. Case in point is the Cash for Clunkers program, which had quickly burned through its $1 billion budget before Congress approved the allocation of another $2 billion last week to keep the program afloat.

Interestingly, there are apparently more clunkers on the road than many on Capitol Hill initially realized, suggests Saint Paul Ford dealers. As a result, the program was temporarily suspending after only a week of running to allow lawmakers to determine the fate of the program. Ultimately, it was decided that spending more was the appropriate solution.

Cash for Clunkers, officially called Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS), provides $3500 to $4500 to those that purchase a new car and trade-in an older clunker. The system is designed to get older, gas-guzzling vehicles off the road and to encourage the sale of fuel efficient vehicles.

Unlike a normal trade-in, old clunkers are required to be destroyed by the dealer. As Honda Service San Luis Obispo explains, car dealers therefore will not be able to take advantage of any remaining value the vehicle might have. While the program has certainly sent plenty of consumers to dealerships, some visitors to Philadelphia Used Cars have suggested that simply throwing away vehicles that may still have value is a bit wasteful – particularly when taxpayers are paying for the vehicle’s destruction.

While some that are not in the market for a new car, and do not own a clunker, may argue that the program has inherent flaws, Cash for Clunkers has nonetheless stimulated new car sales ( at least temporarily). This is important considering new car sales have continued to plummet in recent months. While this program may not help most drivers, it certainly is already helping new car dealers as plenty of consumers are interested in getting $3500 to $4500 off the price of a new car.

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Toyota sales dropped about 11 percent in the month of June. While not a positive outcome, it was a signal that the industry’s recovery may be underway.

Toyota’s market share remains strong and while sales have certainly fallen compared with last year, the numbers are still comparatively healthy next to those of other automakers suggests a Toyota Washington DC dealer. Needless to say, tight credit and unemployment are still factors that are hampering new car sales.

What has helped Toyota more recently is the Cash for Clunkers program. This government program offers up to $4,500 for those who trade in a gas-guzzler for a more fuel efficient vehicle. With Toyota’s reputation for producing economical cars, the program has helped fuel new car sales. Another $2 billion may soon be appropriated for the program to maintain the influx of new car sales that one Toyota Boston dealer says the industry as a whole desperately needed.

In addition to Toyota, Ford, Honda, and Hyundai are already gaining market share from other GM and Chrysler, and look to dethrone Toyota from its dominance in the North American market observes car dealers Santa Maria. But with a recent sales gain due to steep demand for the all-new third generation Prius, Toyota is down but certainly not out of the game.

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Results of the Cash for Clunkers program can be found here soon.