The decline of Detroit's Big Three has been well-chronicled, and it only makes sense that the downturn applies to car rental fleets as well as retail lots.

In the past few years, imported brands have taken a ton of market share from Ford, Chrysler and General Motors in the car rental business, reported the Los Angeles Times.

According to trade publication Automotive Fleet, only 48.8% of new vehicles going into U.S. rental fleets came from General Motors, Ford or Chrysler in the first six months of 2009, compared with two-thirds a year earlier.

Just three years ago, more than eight in 10 vehicles sold to U.S. car rental companies came from Detroit's Big Three, reported the L.A. Times.