Kelley Blue Book was right when, a week ago, it predicted that 900,000 cars would be sold in January. It was 913,284, up 11 percent over January 2011. The SAAR, or seasonally adjusted average rate (= if the rest of the year would be as good as January, how much for the year?) climbed to 14.2 million. That blew all estimates and will become interesting when we analyze the analysts tomorrow.
GM saw its first minus since May last year. They said it’s because of a strong January 2011. Automotive News [sub] says that “a year ago, GM’s sales were aided by generous discounts.”
Chrysler (+44 percent), Mazda (+68%) and Volkswagen (+40 percent) surprised. BMW (+ 6 percent) and Mercedes (+ 23 percent) handed in their homework on time.
| Automaker | Jan. 2012 | Jan. 2011 | Pct. chng. | 1 month 2012 |
1 month 2011 |
Pct. chng. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BMW division | 16,405 | 15,905 | 3% | 16,405 | 15,905 | 3% |
| Mini | 3,334 | 2,751 | 21% | 3,334 | 2,751 | 21% |
| Rolls-Royce | 30 | 28 | 7% | 30 | 28 | 7% |
| BMW Group | 19,769 | 18,684 | 6% | 19,769 | 18,684 | 6% |
| Chrysler Division | 17,604 | 9,705 | 81% | 17,604 | 9,705 | 81% |
| Dodge | 31,454 | 24,314 | 29% | 31,454 | 24,314 | 29% |
| Dodge/Ram | 49,924 | 37,334 | 34% | 49,924 | 37,334 | 34% |
| Fiat | 1,911 | – | –% | 1,911 | – | –% |
| Jeep | 31,710 | 23,079 | 37% | 31,710 | 23,079 | 37% |
| Ram | 18,470 | 13,020 | 42% | 18,470 | 13,020 | 42% |
| Chrysler Group | 101,149 | 70,118 | 44% | 101,149 | 70,118 | 44% |
| Maybach | 4 | 5 | –20% | 4 | 5 | –20% |
| Mercedes-Benz | 21,230 | 17,273 | 23% | 21,230 | 17,273 | 23% |
| Smart USA | 496 | 358 | 39% | 496 | 358 | 39% |
| Daimler AG | 21,730 | 17,636 | 23% | 21,730 | 17,636 | 23% |
| Ford division | 131,173 | 121,175 | 8% | 131,173 | 121,175 | 8% |
| Lincoln | 5,121 | 5,558 | –8% | 5,121 | 5,558 | –8% |
| Mercury | – | 248 | –100% | – | 248 | –100% |
| Ford Motor Co. | 136,294 | 126,981 | 7% | 136,294 | 126,981 | 7% |
| Buick | 10,208 | 13,269 | –23% | 10,208 | 13,269 | –23% |
| Cadillac | 8,924 | 12,581 | –29% | 8,924 | 12,581 | –29% |
| Chevrolet | 123,864 | 125,389 | –1% | 123,864 | 125,389 | –1% |
| GMC | 24,966 | 27,658 | –10% | 24,966 | 27,658 | –10% |
| General Motors | 167,962 | 178,897 | –6% | 167,962 | 178,897 | –6% |
| Acura | 8,381 | 7,961 | 5% | 8,381 | 7,961 | 5% |
| Honda Division | 74,628 | 68,308 | 9% | 74,628 | 68,308 | 9% |
| Honda (American) | 83,009 | 76,269 | 9% | 83,009 | 76,269 | 9% |
| Hyundai division | 42,694 | 37,214 | 15% | 42,694 | 37,214 | 15% |
| Kia | 35,517 | 27,789 | 28% | 35,517 | 27,789 | 28% |
| Hyundai Group | 78,211 | 65,003 | 20% | 78,211 | 65,003 | 20% |
| Jaguar | 985 | 935 | 5% | 985 | 935 | 5% |
| Land Rover | 3,205 | 2,271 | 41% | 3,205 | 2,271 | 41% |
| Jaguar Land Rover | 4,190 | 3,206 | 31% | 4,190 | 3,206 | 31% |
| Maserati | 154 | 114 | 35% | 154 | 114 | 35% |
| Mazda | 23,996 | 14,267 | 68% | 23,996 | 14,267 | 68% |
| Mitsubishi | 4,711 | 5,714 | –18% | 4,711 | 5,714 | –18% |
| Infiniti | 6,796 | 7,405 | –8% | 6,796 | 7,405 | –8% |
| Nissan Division | 72,517 | 64,442 | 13% | 72,517 | 64,442 | 13% |
| Nissan | 79,313 | 71,847 | 10% | 79,313 | 71,847 | 10% |
| Porsche | 2,550 | 2,400 | 6% | 2,550 | 2,400 | 6% |
| Saab Cars North America | – | 658 | –100% | – | 658 | –100% |
| Subaru | 22,807 | 18,858 | 21% | 22,807 | 18,858 | 21% |
| Suzuki | 1,505 | 2,562 | –41% | 1,505 | 2,562 | –41% |
| Lexus | 12,274 | 12,860 | –5% | 12,274 | 12,860 | –5% |
| Scion | 3,535 | 3,275 | 8% | 3,535 | 3,275 | 8% |
| Toyota division | 108,731 | 99,721 | 9% | 108,731 | 99,721 | 9% |
| Toyota/Scion | 112,266 | 102,996 | 9% | 112,266 | 102,996 | 9% |
| Toyota | 124,540 | 115,856 | 8% | 124,540 | 115,856 | 8% |
| Audi | 9,354 | 7,812 | 20% | 9,354 | 7,812 | 20% |
| Bentley | 118 | 82 | 44% | 118 | 82 | 44% |
| VW division | 27,209 | 18,401 | 48% | 27,209 | 18,401 | 48% |
| Volkswagen | 36,681 | 26,295 | 40% | 36,681 | 26,295 | 40% |
| Volvo Cars NA | 4,461 | 4,276 | 4% | 4,461 | 4,276 | 4% |
| Other (estimate)** | 252 | 245 | 3% | 252 | 245 | 3% |
| TOTAL | 913,284 | 819,886 | 11% | 913,284 | 819,886 | 11% |
Data courtesy Automotive News [sub]
Cadillac (down 29%) needs more product. The new ATS is not enough. Even Chevrolet is in for a rough patch because the 2013 Malibu isn’t good enough to be a class leader, the new Impala is a year or two away, and truck demand isn’t going to spike.
Chrysler is just chugging along – does it have the momentum to catch up with Toyota, or will all the new Toyota models in the pipeline blow Sergio away and threaten Ford?
What the hell Mercury, get it together!
Well, I can predict that next month Mercury’s sales will be very close to identical to Plymouth, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Studebaker.
The one that interests me most is Volvo. Am I missing something or are sales just as good under Chinese ownership as they were under Swed, er, Ford ownership. Are the cars too, or is it just that the typical Volvo buyer isn’t aware that Ford ever owned them let alone sold them?
1 month data in the right half of the table seems to be redundant until we have at least two month of data.
@Herr Schmitt: Might want to check out your Excel file, it looks slightly jumbled (last I heard Ford wasn’t affiliated with Daimler AG).
The manufacturer is listed below, not above, the individual brands.
Land Rover up a whopping 41 %. Tut tut Ford for selling JLR is growing faster than BMW now in the most profitable sector of the Market!
I have been perusing small car ratings at Consumer Reports Online. Two models of the Chevy Cruze and two versions of the Chevy Aveo have the lowest reliability ratings in their categories. As usual, the Jap cars did much better, as did Hyundais. The Volkswagen Golf TDI did surprising well, though, with pretty good reliability and great mileage.