Geography may be a factor. You might reasonably apply by mail for a credit card from an out-of-state bank, but a lot of auto lending revolves around a purchase

Geography may be a factor. You might reasonably apply by mail for a credit card from an out-of-state bank, but a lot of auto lending revolves around a purchase made in a nearby dealer. If the dealers in minority-dominant communities tend to be more aggressive about lending qualifications, that could explain it all neatly. Though, my blind guess would be that you'd see more "buy-here/pay-here" and "no-credit-required-but-the-loan-is-at-34-percent-interest" dealers in minority neighbourhoods (skewing poorer), so approval rates would likely be at par or higher. Or are they qualifying "approval rates" with "at sane market prices?"