Alexandria, VA  – The American International Automobile Dealers Association (AIADA) today released September 2012 sales figures for the international nameplate automobile industry. AIADA represents America’s approximately 10,000 international nameplate franchises whose brands accounted for 56.1 percent of all vehicles sold in the United States last month.

Driven by a combination of factors, including pent-up demand and cheap credit, September auto sales were the highest since 2008. AutoData Corp. estimated the seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) at 14.94 million units, the highest recorded level since March 2008. Sales for all brands, unadjusted for business days, were up 14.5 percent from September 2011 and 12.8 percent year over year.

Toyota and Honda led the charge in September, growing their market share 2.6 percent and 1.2 percent respectively from September 2011. Their gain may have been Nissan’s loss; the Japanese automaker saw a drop in share of 1.1 percent from a year ago. Hyundai sales rose 15.3 percent from September 2012, Kia saw an improvement of 35.1 percent, and Volkswagen’s sales were up 34.4 percent. Incentives were down 3.1 percent from August and down 9.3 percent from a year ago.

“Home prices, consumer confidence, and credit availability are all on the rise,” said AIADA President Cody Lusk. “Americans are buying cars again, and that’s good news for dealers, their employees, and the communities they support.”

In September, international brands accounted for 666,301 units sold, down from 703,611 in August. Asian nameplates occupied 46.1 percent of the U.S. auto market, up from 45.6 percent in August. European nameplates rose from a 9.1 percent share in August to 10 percent in September. Domestic brands finished the month with a 44 percent share of the market, down from 45.3 in August.

Read AIADA’s complete coverage of September’s international nameplate auto sales here.

About AIADA: Established in 1970, AIADA is and continues to be the only association whose sole purpose is to represent America’s 10,000 international nameplate automobile franchises that sell and service the following brands: Acura, Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Ferrari, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Jaguar, Kia, Land Rover, Lexus, Maserati, Maybach, Mazda, Mercedes, MINI, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Porsche, Rolls Royce, Saab, Scion, Smart, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo. These retailers have a positive economic impact both nationally and in the local communities they serve, providing more than 500,000 American jobs.