Take the AutoFinanceNews.net Car-Sales Crystal Ball Challenge

2009 is finally behind us. The bad news is that the numbers are in, and 2009 was officially the worst car-sales year since 1982. The good news: It can only get better.

In all, 10.4 million new cars were sold last year, down 21% from 2008 and down 35% from 2007. All manufacturers but Hyundai posted year-over-year sales volume declines.

So where does that leave us for 2010? GM expects industry sales in the 11-million-to-12-million range, while Ford forecasts sales of 11.5 million to 12.5 million vehicles. Barclays Capital Research predicts U.S. light vehicle sales increasing to hit 11.7 million units this year.

Care to venture a guess? Be as specific as you’d like, and we will crown an AutoFinanceNews.net winner come January 2011.

My prediction: 11,613,770.