Pent-up demand for new cars fuels hope for U.S. auto sector

It's hard to blame Americans for their generally negative outlook for the U.S. auto industry. Decades of management errors and cost overruns; management that has failed to aggressively respond to competition; and a massive government bailout have soured U.S. consumers on American automakers. The industry is at its low point. Some industry analysts argue that the sector may not survive, period.

It's a sobering forecast, one that begs the question, are there any rays of light for the sector? Indeed there are. One simple one is the future demand for vehicles.