Jul01
JUNE 2009 AUTOMOTIVE SALES BY THE NUMBERS
Numbers in this table are calculated by Automotive News based on actual monthly sales reported by the manufacturers and may differ from numbers reported elsewhere. Source: Automotive News Data Center Note: Other includes estimates for Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Lotus *Includes Mini and Rolls-Royce **Fiat assumed management control of Chrysler on June 10, 2009. DaimlerChrysler sold the Chrysler group on Aug. 3, 2007 ***Incudes Maybach, Mercedes-Benz and Smart ****Includes Jaguar and Land Rover (through May 31, 2008) and Volvo *****Includes Saab †Includes Honda Division and Acura ††Includes Hyundai and Kia †††Includes Nissan Division and Infiniti ‡Tata Motors includes Jaguar and Land Rover as of June 1, 2008 ‡‡Includes Toyota Division, Lexus and Scion ‡‡‡Includes VW, Audi and Bentley
Ford Motor Co.’s U.S. sales in June fell 10.7 percent, their smallest decline in 16 months, as early results supported projections that the industry may post its best month of a dismal year.
Sales at bankrupt General Motors were down 33.4 percent, and Chrysler Group LLC tumbled 41.9 percent, as both automakers slashed deliveries to fleets. Toyota slid 31.9 percent for its second-slimmest drop of the year, while Nissan’s 23.1 percent decline was its smallest since its last sales gain in August.
American Honda, the only one of the top six automakers to post a sales gain in June 2008, was down 29.5 percent.
GM projected today that industrywide sales would come in at about 10 million units on a seasonally adjusted annual basis, in line with an Automotive News poll of nine analysts. Jessica Caldwell, an analyst with Edmunds.com, said “it’s going to be close.”
That would be higher than May's 9.9 million but still well below the 13.1 million from June 2008. Sales rates have fluctuated between 9.1 million and 9.9 million so far this year, hovering at 27-year lows.
Chrysler took a more pessimistic outlook today, saying June’s SAAR would be 9.7 million, while Ford's projection of 10 million counted medium- and heavy-duty trucks.
“We continue to believe that U.S. auto sales have bottomed this cycle and are heartened by seemingly strengthening retail sales, even ahead of any impact from ‘cash for clunkers’ legislation,” Himanshu Patel, an analyst for JPMorgan, said in a research note before the results were released.
Other automakers
Subaru said its sales for the month rose 3.4 percent. Porsche posted a 66 percent drop, and Daimler AG slumped 26.4 percent -- including a 56.1 percent slide for its Smart microcar brand. The Volkswagen division fell 18 percent. BMW Group's sales fell 20.3 percent, their smallest slide since January.
Ford posted overall sales increases for its Fusion sedan, Escape crossover, Expedition SUV, Ranger truck and the Volvo brand. Retail sales for F-series trucks also increased from the previous year, the automaker said.
Sales of Ford’s hybrids climbed 90.8 percent from June 2008.
“We’re making steady progress,” Jim Farley, group vice president for marketing and communications, said in a statement. “We remain grounded, however, given challenging industry and economic conditions.”
For the year, Ford’s sales are now down 34.1 percent.
Chrysler said today it would run a July "summer clearance" promotion. The company will offer 0 percent financing for 60 months through GMAC Financial Services on some 2009 models, or up to $4,000 cash. Current Chrysler Group owners also may receive up to $1,000 cash on some 2008 and 2009 models.
Chrysler said it also will add up to $750 to the government's cash-for-guzzlers voucher for its current owners.
Chrysler gave incentives worth $4,873 per vehicle sold in June, according to the auto information site Edmunds.com. The industry average was $2,930.
The automaker's fleet sales plunged 95 percent in June, while deliveries to individual customers were down 16 percent. Chrysler emerged from bankruptcy 10 days into the month after eliminating 789 dealerships.
What happened a year ago
Last month's percentage changes come in comparisons to June 2008, when the industry fell 18.3 percent. The industry’s decline accelerated last summer as gasoline prices soared to their highest point on record, with AAA data stretching back to 1974. Sales rates plunged even more dramatically in the fall as the United States fell deeper into a recession that's now in its 20th month.
June will mark the 24th year-over-year monthly decline in 25 months.
Ford was also aided by year-ago comparisons that no longer include Jaguar and Land Rover. Monthly sales for those brands have been tallied by their new owner, Tata Motors, since June of last year.
Even if June's industrywide sales ended up better than any results this year, they may have been hindered by GM's bankruptcy filing June 1, widespread plant shutdowns by GM and then-bankrupt Chrysler, and consumers who are waiting for the cash-for-guzzlers law to take effect, Credit Suisse analyst Christopher Ceraso said in a research note.
President Barack Obama signed the guzzlers legislation last week, but the government may not complete rules for the program until July 23.
Interest in the law -- which offers vouchers of as much as $4,500 to consumers who scrap gas-guzzling vehicles and buy new ones with better fuel economy -- may help boost demand to an annual rate of 11 million units in the second half of 2009, Deutsche Bank analyst Rod Lache said in a research note.
SOURCE: [ Automotive News ]
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