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After a largely flat year of auto sales, it’s looking like the analysts are getting it right and sales were good last month. Chrysler is leading the good-news parade with a whopping 27% bump in volume on strong sales of the 200, Wrangler and Grand Cherokee and 20%+ increases from every brand. GM had a more sideways kind of month, with 2% overall growth and only Chevrolet rising as a brand. For more, watch October’s sales results unfold at our evolving table after the jump…
| Automaker | Oct. 2011 | Oct. 2010 | Pct. chng. | 10 month 2011 |
10 month 2010 |
Pct. chng. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BMW division | 21,873 | 19,272 | 14% | 199,552 | 176,736 | 13% |
| Mini | 5,415 | 3,950 | 37% | 47,050 | 38,538 | 22% |
| Rolls-Royce | 30 | 43 | –30% | 288 | 426 | –32% |
| BMW Group | 27,318 | 23,265 | 17% | 246,890 | 215,700 | 15% |
| Chrysler Division | 21,244 | 16,547 | 28% | 178,795 | 174,650 | 2% |
| Dodge | 33,734 | 27,020 | 25% | 379,175 | 330,039 | 15% |
| Dodge/Ram | 55,570 | 45,110 | 23% | 589,776 | 499,681 | 18% |
| Fiat | 1,965 | – | –% | 15,826 | – | –% |
| Jeep | 35,733 | 28,480 | 26% | 339,526 | 236,026 | 44% |
| Ram | 21,836 | 18,090 | 21% | 210,601 | 169,642 | 24% |
| Chrysler Group | 114,512 | 90,137 | 27% | 1,123,923 | 910,357 | 24% |
| Maybach | 4 | 5 | –20% | 44 | 53 | –17% |
| Mercedes-Benz | 24,122 | 19,076 | 27% | 206,632 | 184,438 | 12% |
| Smart USA | 327 | 367 | –11% | 4,084 | 5,146 | –21% |
| Daimler AG | 24,453 | 19,448 | 26% | 210,760 | 189,637 | 11% |
| Ford division | 161,408 | 143,339 | 13% | 1,696,030 | 1,445,611 | 17% |
| Ford/Lincoln/Mercury | 167,502 | 157,650 | 6% | 1,767,213 | 1,594,387 | 11% |
| Lincoln | 6,094 | 6,834 | –11% | 70,935 | 70,120 | 1% |
| Mercury | – | 7,477 | 100% | 248 | 78,656 | –100% |
| Volvo | – | – | –% | – | 32,525 | –100% |
| Ford Motor Co. | 167,502 | 157,650 | 6% | 1,767,213 | 1,626,912 | 9% |
| Buick | 11,687 | 12,569 | –7% | 151,779 | 126,569 | 20% |
| Cadillac | 11,795 | 13,393 | –12% | 124,985 | 118,406 | 6% |
| Chevrolet | 131,804 | 124,214 | 6% | 1,485,737 | 1,298,393 | 14% |
| GMC | 31,609 | 33,000 | –4% | 326,543 | 263,502 | 24% |
| Hummer | – | 242 | –100% | – | 3,749 | –100% |
| Pontiac | – | 83 | –100% | – | 1,045 | –100% |
| Saab | – | – | –% | – | 608 | –100% |
| Saturn | – | 42 | –100% | – | 6,610 | –100% |
| General Motors | 186,895 | 183,543 | 2% | 2,089,044 | 1,818,882 | 15% |
| Acura | 11,115 | 11,011 | 1% | 100,261 | 107,399 | –7% |
| Honda Division | 87,218 | 87,800 | –1% | 857,869 | 903,848 | –5% |
| Honda (American) | 98,333 | 98,811 | –1% | 958,130 | 1,011,247 | –5% |
| Hyundai division | 52,402 | 42,656 | 23% | 545,316 | 452,703 | 21% |
| Kia | 37,690 | 31,199 | 21% | 405,095 | 299,223 | 35% |
| Hyundai Group | 90,092 | 73,855 | 22% | 950,411 | 751,926 | 26% |
| Jaguar | – | – | –% | – | – | –% |
| Land Rover | – | – | –% | – | – | –% |
| Jaguar Land Rover | – | – | –% | – | – | –% |
| Maserati | – | – | –% | – | – | –% |
| Mazda | 18,326 | 18,013 | 2% | 209,641 | 192,783 | 9% |
| Mitsubishi | 4,378 | 5,111 | –14% | 70,253 | 46,503 | 51% |
| Infiniti | 6,862 | 7,930 | –14% | 79,043 | 82,727 | –5% |
| Nissan Division | 75,484 | 61,843 | 22% | 777,382 | 660,747 | 18% |
| Nissan | 82,346 | 69,773 | 18% | 856,425 | 743,474 | 15% |
| Porsche | 2,270 | 2,647 | –14% | 24,934 | 20,337 | 23% |
| Saab Cars North America‡ | 337 | 741 | –55% | 4,984 | 3,367 | 48% |
| Subaru | 20,081 | 22,720 | –12% | 215,631 | 216,334 | 0% |
| Suzuki | – | – | –% | – | – | –% |
| Lexus | 18,092 | 21,091 | –14% | 153,739 | 183,529 | –16% |
| Scion | 3,952 | 4,654 | –15% | 41,559 | 37,888 | 10% |
| Toyota division | 112,002 | 119,729 | –7% | 1,133,271 | 1,235,373 | –8% |
| Toyota/Scion | 115,954 | 124,383 | –7% | 1,174,830 | 1,273,261 | –8% |
| Toyota | 134,046 | 145,474 | –8% | 1,328,569 | 1,456,790 | –9% |
| Audi | 10,225 | 8,128 | 26% | 95,206 | 81,718 | 17% |
| Bentley | 162 | 120 | 35% | 1,422 | 1,074 | 32% |
| VW division | 28,028 | 20,084 | 40% | 263,487 | 212,774 | 24% |
| Volkswagen | 38,415 | 28,332 | 36% | 360,115 | 295,566 | 22% |
| Volvo Cars NA | 4,899 | 3,996 | 23% | 57,054 | 12,589 | 353% |
| Other (estimate) | 248 | 242 | 3% | 2,466 | 2,411 | 2% |
| TOTAL | 1,014,451 | 943,758 | 8% | 10,476,443 | 9,514,815 | 10% |
18 Comments on “October Sales: Movin’ On Up...”
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And cue the internet experts to explain how this is actually a bad sign and that any day now the worldwide economy is going to come apart at the seams.
Just like they have been doing.
Every day.
For the last three years.
VW Group keeps on growing at a stellar rate (36%) for now. It will be interesting to see how the new Passat does in the crowded mid-size market.
On another note – in September Fiat and Mini were essentially tied but now Mini has opened up a large lead >5000 vs 2000. Wonder if that trend will be sustained.
Saab YTD sales are up because… they’re so heavily discounted to clear them off the lots?
Someone missed that Volt sales are up about 25% over last month. This “demand limited” car seems to be growing much faster than the industry as a whole.
Yes, Volt sales are rising nicely with increased production. Outsold the Leaf in October.
Chrysler continues to surprise me. The 200 is a hit. 300/Charger/minivans are not setting the world on fire, but remember that last year saw old models with gobs of incentives. Chrysler claims a much higher retail percentage too.
Lincoln – disaster. Fix it, please.
GM – why are Buick, Cadillac and GMC losing ground October over October?
I too am surprised by the 200 sales. Who knew!
As to your GM point some of the numbers were disappointing like Regal sales being just over 2000 when they had been selling near 4000 for most of 2011. Some of the explanation for the Buick and Cadillac sale falls can be put down to some models being eliminated like Lucerne, DTS and STS with new models like the Verano, ATS and XTS not out until later (next month for Verano). It has also been reported that Cadillac was exiting most of their fleet business so that affects year on year comparisons.
That said continuing models like the Enclave and Acadia also fell, time will tell if it is a trend.
What surprised me was the increase in inventory (as measured by days to turn). I assume they shutdown for a good portion of December so that number will fall.
Are Scion sales numbers really that low?
Scion 3,952 4,654 –15% 41,559 37,888 10%
It’s hard to believe that they’re puttering along selling fewer units than Volvo NA…
Scion has been in steady decline since the introduction of the xB2 in 2007/8. They’ve totally lost it.
https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2011/05/facing-downturn-scion-turns-to-metal-to-move-metal/
Here’s what a scionlife.com administrator said in June:
“Honestly, for myself, a staunch Scion supporter – a “fanboi” if you will – Scion doesn’t have a vehicle in their line-up now that I would want to buy.”
They’re doomed.
xB – lost the plot when it was redesigned
xD – talk about a car I forgot existed, and the oldest in its segment
tC – needs a four-door variant (or would that cut into Corolla sales?)
Regarding the tC –
What it needs is sharper styling, a sportier handling package, and a badge that says ‘Celica’. Do that, and they’ll sell like hotcakes.
In yet another sign of The Apocalypse, the Chrysler 200 actually outsold the Chevy Malibu in October. It appears that Chrysler has created the proverbial silk purse from a sow’s ear. If you add in Dodge Avenger sales, Chrysler almost matched the volume of the Ford Fusion in the midsize segment too.
JLo better shake her booty harder, the FIAT 500 was a “bust” in October.
Them politically-correct lesbians and hippies are already tired of it? Surprising, really.
Ford’s decision to dump Mercury was questionable. Lincoln dealers are now selling HALF the cars they were previously. Mercury buyers may be switching to Ford, but they sure aren’t moving up to Lincoln, whose sales remain quite flat.
I don’t know if anyone truly expected the majority of Mercury customers to suddenly jump to Lincoln. At one point Mercury vehicles were sold at a price premium compared to the related Ford, but by the end an equally equipped Mercury was within a couple hundred dollars of the comparable Ford model, and sometimes less depending on how the packages worked out. FoMoCo doesn’t lose anything by having these customers switch to Ford vehicles.
As far as standalone Lincoln dealers, yes, they are probably hurting, but there is no reason they should exist anyway. Combo Ford-Lincoln stores are the wave of the future. With benefits including being able to appeal to a larger customer base, cutting logistic and infrastructure costs, and being able to build relationships with customers starting with their first car and building up with them as they grow older and become more affluent I’m surprised more brands aren’t pushing to combine their luxury divisions with the mainstream brand in one showroom.
Hyundai, which seems to be doing almost everything right, has seen the future and decided to not only offer their luxury vehicles beside their starter-model Accents, but is doing it all under the same brand. Toyota-Lexus, Nissan-Infiniti, and Chevy-Cadillac stores can’t be far behind.
Heil Piech! VW’s quest for global domination marches on in October Jetta and new Passat selling quite well. Apparently Americans really do like cheap plasticky interiors afterall.
Last month GM got accused of ‘channel stuffing:’ ramming cars through to the retail dealers, and then recording the units as corporate sales, whether or not there was an actual consumer purchase.
Is it possible this is Chrysler’s month?