Whether you blame the generally sour economy, soaring oil prices, or a weak housing market, there's little good to read into the numbers for June. U.S. auto sales plunged by 18.3 percent in June. Worked out on an annualized basis, the industry would sell an anemic 13.6 million vehicles, a far cry from the 17-million-plus units automakers moved earlier this decade.

Significantly, the decline was actually twice as severe as the plunge taken in the months after the September 11 terrorist attacks nearly froze the American economy. When you tally up all the numbers for the first half of 2008, the industry has hit a 15-year sales low.

Virtually every manufacturer suffered, in June, but there were a few notable exceptions: Honda, in particular, Hyundai, and Volkswagen. Meanwhile, though its light truck sales have slumped spectacularly, General Motors actually posted an increase in retail passenger car sales - reflecting both some well-received new products and some effective cash-back marketing efforts.

"We felt that was a very successful month-end merchandising program," said General Motors director of sales, service, and marketing Mark LaNeve.

GM's campaign, which offered 0 percent financing for up to 72 months, still couldn't head off an overall 18.2 percent decline for the automaker in June. For the month, the company's market share actually rose, to 22.1 percent, reflecting just badly the rest of its competitors fared. For all of '08 so far, GM's share is 21.4 percent.

As in May, Ford Motor Co.'s big F-Series pickups were knocked down from the top of the U.S. sales charts, where they had collectively ruled for 27 years. The big trucks came in fifth among all models in June, behind such high-mileage imports as the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic. For the month, the F-Series posted a 40.5 percent decline; the truck line is down 22.7 percent for the year to date.

The collapse of the one-time best-seller pushed Ford even more deeply into the No. 3 spot in the U.S. market. For the year to date, it holds a 15.5 percent share of the American auto market, but in June, that was down to 14.6 percent.

Now well-entrenched as the No. 2 maker is Toyota, with a 2008 share of 16.7 percent. But beset by its own problems in the truck market, Toyota sales plunged a surprising 21.4 percent last month, giving it a June share of just 16.3 percent. That actually widens the gap between GM and Toyota.

But whether the American maker can hold onto its lead is uncertain, according to analyst Rod Lache of Deutsche Bank. The overall monthly numbers, said Lache, were "largely in line with our expectations. We would caution investors from reading too much into GM's June sales as previous '0% financing' and 'employee discount' promotions have typically had the effect of (only) temporarily boosting its market share." Those numbers, he cautioned, "may fall back."

Automakers and industry analysts alike suggested that some of the plunge in June sales reflect a shortage of the high-mileage vehicles that U.S. consumers are increasingly seeking out. That includes products like the Toyota Prius hybrid, the new Chevrolet Malibu, and Honda's Civic - both in gasoline and hybrid configurations. Where the industry generally considers a 60-day supply of vehicles on dealer lots to be the norm, the typical Prius is delivered to a customer within a day of its arrival from the factory.

"That limited availability, we believe, had an impact," said George Pipas, chief sales analyst for Ford Motor Co.

What's in store in the months to come is perhaps more uncertain than at any time in recent decades. Complicating efforts to forecast the U.S. car market, analysts have to project what will happen to fuel prices, the availability of loans, and the recovery of the housing market.

Whether you think of them as "fantasies in chrome," in the words of former Ford chief designer Jack Telnack, or as the shape of things to come, concept cars have traditional been a favorite of show-goers, industry insiders, and the automotive media alike. And the best of the year's breed were honored this week by a jury of more than two dozen auto writers from across North America.

A total of 40 concepts and 12 "production preview vehicles" - thinly disguised versions of products soon coming to market - were up for this year's awards, and the judges ultimately honored an array of domestic and import offerings, including Cadillac's CTS Coupe, Land Rover's LRX, and the Saab 9-X BioHybrid (shown above).

Think of the Production Preview category as a "reality check," award organizers suggest, falling somewhere between the fantasy of traditional concept vehicles and the cars, trucks, and crossovers that eventually roll into showrooms. In recent years, these preview vehicles have expanded greatly in number, giving makers a way to measure the likely public response to an upcoming offering.

In a striking showing its first time at the awards program, Hyundai took home honors in the Production Preview category for its Genesis Coupe, a very close peek at what's to come to market early next year. "The Hyundai Genesis Coupe is a stunning rear-wheel drive performance coupe with a pleasingly slippery shape," declared judge Arv Voss.

In the more traditional Concept Car category, General Motors took home the gold with the Cadillac CTS Coupe. "Anyone who classifies this car as a two-door version of the sedan has a vision problem," said jury member Kevin Kelly. "The unique roofline and aggressive stance make the CTS coupe stand out from the crowd and the rest of the Cadillac lineup."

The Coupe was also declared "Most Significant Concept Vehicle of 2008."

GM also snatch the win in the Specialty Concept category with its Saab 9-X BioHybrid, which combines both a futuristic design with intriguing, enviro-friendly technology.

In the fourth and final category, Truck and SUV, Land Rover took top honors with its LRX Concept. According to juror Thom Cannell, "Land Rover's LRX proves lust can have a practical side."

How quickly times change. Only a matters of months ago, it seems, we were bombarded by ads touting products by the numbers: horsepower, for example, 0-60 times, or cubic feet of cargo space. Well, actually, we're hearing a lot more numbers now; what with $4-a-gallon gas, manufacturers are suddenly touting miles per gallon. But according to the folks at Consumer Reports magazine, that's no more effective a way to buy a new, fuel-efficient vehicle than basing your decision on its top speed.

In its latest issue, the CR folks have come up with an interesting way of figuring out your savings, but you want to have a calculator at hand. They took the sticker price of each vehicle and divided it by the rated mpg. Using that metric, the Honda Fit Sport ranked first, with a fuel-efficiency price of $464 mpg. The standard Fit came in a close second, at $476 per mpg. The oft-touted Toyota Prius, the world's best-selling hybrid-electric vehicle, was rated third, in the study, at $540. Perhaps surprisingly, only three hybrids made the Top Ten list: two versions of the Prius, along with the Honda Civic Hybrid.

"Just because a vehicle is fuel-efficient doesn't necessarily mean it's cheaper to live with. If you want a car with great gas mileage and must make every dollar count, look for a vehicle with a low price per mpg."

As we've also pointed out at TCC over the years, CR stresses that fuel economy is only one of the figures you should factor into your purchase equation. Look at things like depreciation, insurance premiums, repair and maintenance costs, and other factors. Be especially careful, we need to stress, if you're thinking about trading in a big gas-guzzler for something small and fuel-efficient. It might seem like a logical move, these days, but not if you haven't paid off that loan yet. You could wind up being "upside down," owing on your old car, as well as the new one. And those added costs could more than offset any savings on fuel.

Here's the CR Top Ten list:

1. Honda Fit Sport (manual): $464
2. Honda Fit (base): $476
3. Toyota Prius (base): $540
4. Mazda3 I (manual): $576
5. Toyota Prius Touring: $591
6. Nissan Versa 1.8 SL: $596
7. Honda Civic Hybrid: $605
8. Honda Civic EX (manual): $607
9. Hyundai Elantra GLS: $650
10. Scion tC (base): $658

My first trip through Russia was during the dark days of the old, Evil Empire. Flying into Moscow’s airport was a chilling experience, with few locals other than heavily armed, and exceedingly unfriendly soldiers watching your every move. Moscow’s roads were largely empty, but for the odd Lada and Moskvitch, almost certainly being driven by a senior government official or favored party apparatchik.

Those were the days, after all, when the idea of a consumer economy meant a single Pepsi machine located near the Kremlin – and a single paper cup that would be shared by everyone on the long line waiting for the machine to dispense its syrupy goodness.

These days, if you have the money, you can find plenty of Cristal champagne at the discos and fancy restaurants that seemingly pop up like mushrooms along Moscow’s increasingly crowded streets.

Forget the Moskvitch, and expect some big changes to Lada, which has formed a partnership with Nissan/Renault. Today’s increasingly affluent Russian consumers have access to virtually every automotive brand imaginable, and more are coming. The Nissan/Renault/Lada deal will result in a huge increase in vehicle available, as will a new General Motors plant. Though the country’s population is but a fraction of that in the world’s other boom markets, China and India, it seems like everyone wants a production presence on Russian soil.

The results are paying off, sales numbers for the first four months of 2008 indicate. Foreign brands are up 49 percent, with GM Chevrolet posting a 53 percent increase. Hyundai, a late entrant, scored a triple-digit, 108 percent gain, leading the charge by Asian makers. Among Europeans, Renault topped the sales charts and reported a 26 percent gain. Though still smaller, Peugeot also saw sales more than double against year-earlier numbers, while Volkswagen sales rose nearly 50 percent.

So, let’s see if I have this right: wWhen I first flew into Moscow, most comrades were walking or taking the bus. Now they’re buying cars and driving one of the world’s most vibrant consumer economies. Back here, in the U.S., we’re watching sales plunge and worried about the sinking economy. Care to remind me who won the Cold War?

When the South Korean carmaker Hyundai recently announced plans to introduce a Microsoft-based navigation and communications system into its cars, it underscored the dramatic transformation of today’s automobiles. While they may remain, at their most fundamental, mechanical devices, the modern car has become an electronic center, with digital technology controlling everything from the engine to the backseat entertainment system.

Indeed, the biggest area of growth is in information and entertainment technology, sometimes dubbed “infotainment” or, if you prefer, "telematics.” These days, many cars feature more high-tech features than your typical home or office, and the trend seems all but certain to continue.

That’s why a new study by ABI Research forecasts that just navigation devices and systems alone will generate sales of $62 billion by 2012. "Despite disappointing sales levels in the first quarter of 2008 and profit warnings issued by TomTom, Tele Atlas and SiRF, the navigation market still faces a bright future," Dominique Bonte, ABI Research principal analyst, told the trade publication, Telematics Update. "The current decrease in sales has to be seen as a logical reaction following the extraordinary sales growth during the fourth quarter of 2007, especially in the United States."

Good news for Hyundai, Toyota, BMW, and Ford (its new SYNC system, in a Lincoln Navigator, shown above)? Not necessarily. Millions of Americans are forgoing the built-in systems these manufacturers sell – often at prices running to $2,000 – in favor of portable navi units, some of which are available for less than $200. There are dedicated navigation systems, like TomTom's, and now even gaming devices and phones with built-in GPS hardware.

So what’s a carmaker to do? It could depend on two things, acknowledges Alan Hall, a spokesman for Ford Motor Co.: either drop prices or add significant functionality. (Or both, we’d add.) It’s a growing bit of conventional wisdom that factory-equipped navi systems will have to drop to perhaps $500 to $700 to keep consumers ticking off that box when they order a new car.

Ford’s SYNC is commanding around $1,900 in the 2009 Escape crossover, yet sales are booming. That’s because the Microsoft-programmed system features not just navigation, but a multifunction audio package, with a 10GB hard drive and an incredibly intuitive voice interface. Want to find the nearest burger joint while driving cross-country? Just say, “I’m hungry.”

But as analysts note, such technology isn’t the exclusive property of automakers like Ford, at least not for long. Traffic and even weather, as well as detailed points-of-interest lists and voice control, are all showing up on portable devices.

The pot of gold is huge. The question is, who will be able to claim it?