Fast Lane Research News readers were recently asked to participate in an industry study to establish a benchmark for performance, trends and opinions at the beginning of 2010. Last week we previewed some of the aggregated information and this week we are continuing to highlight information from the upcoming report.

The responses from our readers were generous and have helped to establish a current snapshot of market behavior. Most of the participants were manufacturers (66%), followed by warehouse/distributors (10%) and jobbers (8%). The remaining participants were a nearly even mix of retailers, installers and representatives from industry publications.

Each business was asked to highlight the markets they would target during 2010 and despite the reduced sales of consumer pickups and SUVs the largest segment selected was Light Trucks (69%). The next popular markets were Modern Domestic Muscle Cars (47%), Classic Muscle Cars (43%), Hot Rods/Street Rods (43%), Off Road (41%) and Restoration/ RestoMods (39%).

Modern muscle cars and the revived “pony war” mentality of OEMs, vehicle owners and fans are providing the specialty equipment industry with a vital shot in the arm. All of the new contemporary muscle platforms are capable in and of themselves, but they also enable enthusiasts the opportunity to continue the automotive love-affair and performance manufacturers to squeeze even more out of them.  It should be no surprise then that nearly half (47%) of industry businesses will be targeting these models and their communities in the current year. Moreover, the convergence of automotive lifestyles of young and old enthusiasts paired with the overwhelming acceptance of these vehicle designs has broadened the market. In other words, more consumers are interested and the “pie” has grown.