After the vehicle sales famine of 2008-2010, consumers began to return to the car lots. As the economy moved upward after the Great Recession, as more people found jobs and as consumers felt it was time to take a chance and begin spending again, car and truck sales rose month over month.

2011 was a turnaround year for the auto industry and the aftermarket followed suit. That continued into the 1st quarter of 2012. automakers and their car dealers began reporting record profits.

Got a question for you? Do you think the 2012 political season will affect the economy, either for the better or the worse? That is, will politicians and their backers manipulate the economic news enough to keep consumer confidence growing or make consumers nervous -- in a way that could affect consumers' returning to the new-car showrooms or spending on aftermarket products?

What a difference a bailout makes.

I think those 2008-2009 bailouts of GM and Chrysler gave those two Detroit automakers a better chance to recover faster, stronger. Chrysler ended 2011 with a big 26% jump in sales over 2010 -- and a 37% jump just in December. Not too shabby.

GM finished 2011 with a year-over-year gain of 13%. That's nice, too. Ford, which didn't take taxpayer money, finished 10% above its 2010 numbers.

Now, maybe it's just that the U.S. economy finally has begun its slow, uphill recovery, but those GM and, especially, Chrysler year-end numbers ain't bad.

Yes. What a difference the bailouts made. 

I'm one of those kooks who doesn't completely mind the government sometimes trying to protect me from myself and others -- like on the road, for example. I've been in car accidents -- hit from the rear, hit on the side, hit head-on -- but I've survived them all, no one died. Maybe it's just luck.

Usually, it was a driver who was distracted -- even for just a split second -- that caused the collision. That distraction could have been looking away from the road ahead, looking down at something dropped onto the seat or floorboard, speeding up and cutting in a too-tight space and slamming on the brakes ... you get the picture; we've all been there.

Face-to-face interaction at trade shows helps encourage the thought process and create ideas that can be groundbreaking and innovative. During the PRO (Professional Restylers Organization) Council membership meeting Nov. 3 at the SEMA Show, the idea was suggested that SEMA combine the Restyling section with the Trucks section in the Las Vegas Convention Center's Upper South Hall. Two of the most prominent reasons stated during the discussion were the contraction of the Restyling section in the North Hall and the fact that exhibitors and buyers would benefit greatly from the fact that both markets are looking at many of the same players.

And I thought the 2010 SEMA Show was upbeat. It had nothing on this 2011 Show.

This isn't cheerleading. From the 30- or 40-or-so exhibitors (I began to lose count) I had in-depth conversations with between Oct. 31 and Nov. 4 at the aftermarket trade show in Las Vegas, I found not one who didn't say he or she was upbeat -- genuinely so -- about the industry, the show, the quality of their aftermarket buyers/installers/jobbers.

And I thought the 2010 SEMA Show was upbeat. It had nothing on this 2011 Show.

This isn't cheerleading. From the 30- or 40-or-so exhibitors (I began to lose count) I had in-depth conversations with between Oct. 31 and Nov. 4 at the aftermarket trade show in Las Vegas, I found not one who didn't say he or she was upbeat -- genuinely so -- about the industry, the show and the quality of their aftermarket buyers/installers/jobbers.

The pendulum swings.

Some car/truck dealers have their own in-house aftermarket-selling and installation departments that do a good business. Others have partnered with contract installers to handle the add-ons that dealers' customers want, and together they do a good business.

Some dealers promote their brands' aftermarket parts. Others are  more democratic and present a host of options. And then there are those dealers that don't make the effort to promote aftermarket add-ons.

Despite all the roller-coaster news that first predicts a bad month for vehicle sales only to find the opposite occurs … despite roller-coaster stock markets catching an economic flu whenever some new economic indicator report sneezes bad news … despite roller-coaster politicians of every stripe posturing and posing as having the solution to “putting America back on its feet” … despite earthquakes, tsunamis and hurricanes … the auto industry seems to be regaining — at least holding — its ground.

Are you restyling retailers and jobbers holding your ground? Is the economic news that's reported actually true for you and your business?

Is there good news in my observation?