The mega-sized meal and super-sized motor

In this age of modest engines, while we Europeans gasp at the thought of a seven-litre engine driving anything other than a bus, our American colleagues laugh indignantly at the thought of using 1,000 ccs to drive anything more than a washing machine. While we swooned over the small cars that flooded the market from Japan, the US faced the onset of recurring oil crises by leaping into the SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle) market. If they couldn't ignore the fuel crises, they'd damn well drive through them.

Previously, while Europe's prestige marques went for soft lines and sultry reds, our US brethren opted for flamingo pink behemoths, with enough chrome-surround to dazzle those "commies" in their Sputnik spacecraft. But surely, in this age of Kyoto and sun-dried tomatoes, the boys and girls of Detroit will have changed their hue from red, white and blue to a softer shade of green? Not in a star spangled minute.

In a recent debate in the US Congress over fuel economy standards for cars, Republican Senator Trent Lott pointed to a picture of a purple model of the Smart car, and said: "After all, this is still America. We shouldn't have the federal government saying you are going to drive the purple people eater here."

The big three car firms in the US - GM, Ford and Chrysler (in reality the German DaimlerChrysler) - argue that they are only catering for consumer demand. However, sales were certainly boosted by the post-September 11th campaigns when GM offered 0 per cent finance under the slogan "Keep America Rolling". The other two US automakers soon followed suit. To buy any of those wishy-washy European brands is no different than throwing a kafiya on your head and joining Bin Laden.

The figures back up this move by the US populace into veritable civilian tanks. The latest report from Morgan & Co, shows that in the 12 months to May, light trucks held 51.7 per cent of the US auto market, with cars holding the remaining 48.3 per cent. For the year to the end of May, SUVs represented 23.52 per cent, with another 18.55 per cent for pick-ups and over 9 per cent for vans.

However, there is hope that the US market may turn away from SUVs before they drive us all towards Armageddon. Enter the "crossovers" - vehicles aimed at combining the smooth ride of a car with the space of a SUV. While the segment accounts for only a fraction of total US auto sales at present (nearly 7 per cent), they will make up about 15 per cent of all models introduced between 2001 and 2004. Popular with consumers for their handling, they are also a useful option for manufacturers, as they share not only design features with cars and SUVs, but parts too.

In the end however, despite the careful watch on US car buyer trends, manufacturers would do well to study consumer trends in Beijing rather than Boise, Idaho. China is gearing up for an explosion in car ownership that is set to dwarf all previous developments in the auto industry.

As yet, there are only 16 million cars in China - not many for a country with 1.3 billion people - and only one-tenth of one per cent of the Chinese people will be buying a car this year. But industry officials enthuse about a 20 per cent rise in sales last year and a 30 per cent sales rise during the first four months of this year.