Answer:
Step-by-step explanation:
This most likely happened because in the 80's the economy was so bad that even by lowering their prices the middle-class families would still not be able to afford to buy a car. The only individuals able to afford a car would be those who are wealthy. Therefore, by increasing prices and targetting wealthy individuals, the US car manufacturers could become profitable with much fewer sales and prevent the manufacturing plant from going under. Since wealthy individuals would not mind much the increased prices because they can still afford it without making much of a dent in their wealth.