(photos courtesy of www.thecarconnection.com)

In the race to capture the increasingly influential Hispanic American consumer, Ford, Toyota and Chevrolet have distanced themselves from other automotive brands, according to R.L. Polk and Co.

In 2003, Ford captured 15.9 percent of the all new vehicle registrations made by Hispanic Americans in the United States. Toyota and Chevrolet follow in a virtual dead heat, each with slightly more than 14 percent of the market among American consumers of Hispanic heritage. Following were Honda (9.2 percent), Nissan (7.1 percent), Dodge (6.6 percent), GMC (3.8 percent), Hyundai (2.5 percent), Mitsubishi (2.2 percent) and Jeep (2 percent).

In 2004, Toyota has made a strong push to solidify itself in the second position overall. In the first quarter of 2004, Toyota captured 37,353 Hispanic registrations, or 15.5 percent of Hispanic market share. This eclipsed Ford’s share of 15.4 percent, or 36,989 registrations, during the first three months of 2004. Rounding out the Top 10 Brands are Chevrolet (13.1 percent), Honda (9.2 percent), Nissan (9.1 percent), Dodge (6.4 percent), GMC (3.7 percent), Hyundai (2.3 percent), Jeep (2.2 percent) and Mazda (1.9 percent).

“While they technically remain a minority group, Hispanic Americans can no longer be considered a niche market,” said Lonnie Miller, director of analytical solutions for R.L. Polk & Co. “Hispanics are growing, both in numbers and consumer influence. Automotive manufacturers are taking notice and delivering products that appeal in all the traditional ways – design, price, performance and utility.”

Overall, Hispanic Americans account for 6 percent of the U.S. automotive market, compared to 4.8 percent in 1999. This represents 25.7 percent increase in volume of new vehicle registrations in just five years.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the percentage of U.S. population identifying themselves as Hispanic grew much faster than the population as a whole – increasing from 35.3 million in 2000 to 38.8 million in 2002. Hispanics are now the nation’s largest minority group, and are becoming increasingly more influential in their collective purchasing power.

Here are the Top 10 Brands Among Hispanic Americans in 2003:

1. Ford           159,718, or 15.9%

2. Toyota        145,819, or 14.5%

3. Chevrol       143,938, or 14.3%

4. Honda          91,935, or  9.2%

5. Nissan         70,900, or  7.1%

6. Dodge           66,204, or  6.6%

7. GMC              37,652, or  3.8%

8. Hyundai         26,356, or  2.6%

9. Mitsubishi      22,357, or  2.2%

10. Jeep            20,546, or  2.0%