If you mash all of this up, you can see a bizarre picture. The automakers are on one side, floundering in both production and finance, while consumers are dealing with a variety of issues that seem to be affecting not just purchasing but the use of their vehicles. I've heard optimistic car dealers suggesting that once some of these dark economic clouds scatter, pent-up demand will spur a robust recovery in the auto sector. At the moment, however, that optimism is grasping for justification.