Car customization is alive and well, says SEMA

American car owners spent a record $36.7 billion in specialty automotive products during 2006, according to the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), a 7% increase over 2005 levels.

SEMA reports that the automotive specialty equipment industry has seen sales growth of 7.4% per year on average during the last 10 years.

"What’s really exciting is that we’re seeing more and more mainstream consumers discovering the benefits of vehicle personalization," say SEMA officials.