According to Edmunds.com Sr. Analyst Jessica Caldwell, August auto sales reached a SAAR of 14.5, the highest SAAR since the government Cash for Clunkers program in August of 2009. She also said that August was the third best selling month in 2012, behind March and May.
Jessica said, “The strong retail number indicates that people are inspired by the glut of new product in the market and many are in the position of having to get rid of their ailing older vehicles. Combine that with expanded credit availability, and you have a strong month for car sales.”
In light of Chrysler and GM reporting August sales above estimates today, Edmunds.com Vice Chairman Jeremy Anwyl comments on the political implications: “The Detroit automakers’ strong August sales reports come at a great time for President Obama as the Democrats hold their convention this week, where they’ll surely tout the bailout of GM and Chrysler. Yes, Chrysler and General Motors are undeniably stronger competitors today and a share of credit goes to the government managed bankruptcies. But the problems that culminated in the bankruptcies was built over decades. The real question is whether each company will be successful in 10 or 15 years. Here the answer is much cloudier. Has GM’s culture really changed? Is the Fiat/Chrysler partnership strong enough to compete against much larger companies? Only time will tell.”
ON GENERAL MOTORS
From Edmunds.com Sr. Analyst Jessica Caldwell: “Although trucks had a solid month, the small car performance is what’s most impressive about GM’s numbers today. Cruze, Sonic, and Spark were all unknown nameplates just a few years ago, but now they almost equal the volume of Silverado, the core of Chevys identity. Higher gas prices in August will lead to unseasonably strong small car performance across the industry.”
From Edmunds.com Sr. Analyst Michelle Krebs: “GM is proof that new products and effective marketing can – and do – drive sales. Cadillac sales were up, helped in part by the introduction of the flagship XTS sedan, which is retain loyal Cadillac buyers, and the Olympic ads for the entry-level ATS, which boosted shopping for the vehicle and the Cadillac brand in general. Chevrolet sales were helped by a continued strong performance of the Sonic, a good start to the Spark, record sales of Volt and the venerable Equinox.”
ON CHRYSLER
From Edmunds.com Sr. Analyst Michelle Krebs: “Chrysler truly spread its riches in August. Jeep, while still the volume leading brand, had only a 5 percent increase in sales as it winds down a couple of models. But Chrysler (+25%), Dodge (+ 13%) and Ram (+18%) stepped up to the plate with significant increases. The freshening of the Chrysler 300 is helping the brand and the introduction of the Dart compact is giving Dodge a brand boost of its own.”
ON FORD
From Edmunds.com Sr. Analyst Jessica Caldwell: “There were big numbers in August for the Ford F-Series. It’s still the bread-and-butter of their line up with total sales nearly matching all Ford passenger cars combined. Ford will need to work to reinforce its heralded truck loyalty in the coming months, though, with the new Dodge Ram on the market this fall and new GM trucks slated for next year.”
ON VOLKSWAGEN
From Edmunds.com Sr. Analyst Michelle Krebs: “Volkswagen had another outstanding month with sales up 63 percent from the year before for its best August since 1973. If the brand continues at this pace – which, of course, is never guaranteed – VW’s goal for 800,000 sales per year by 2018 may not be as lofty as once thought.”
ON NISSAN
From Edmunds.com Sr. Analyst Jessica Caldwell: “Altima is still 30% of Nissan total sales, which is too much emphasis on one product. The company is hoping that sales will diversify in the coming months with the launch of new Pathfinder and Sentra. In the meantime, the selldown of the Sentra has been very successful, with the model turning in its second-best month of the year.”
ON KIA
From Edmunds.com Sr. Analyst Jessica Caldwell: “There’s no denying the success of Kia and the love affair America has with its hamsters, but a big part of its strategy is to appeal to subprime buyers. About 17% of Kia’s finance customers purchased a car at 10% APR or more; only Mitsubishi and Suzuki had a higher rate of car buyers at that level. By catering to a wider spectrum of buyers with eye-catching design and memorable advertising, Kia has found its groove.”
ON HONDA
From Edmunds.com Sr. Analyst Jessica Caldwell: “Honda had one of its best months in the past two years in August, thanks to a combination of interest in the new CR-V and Civic, as well as the outgoing Accord, which had a particular appeal for the deal-seeking crowd last month.”
Below please click on the Automaker to find out more about their August 2012 sales numbers:
Chrysler Group LLC: Chrysler Group LLC Reports August 2012 U.S. Sales Increased 14%; Best August Sales in Five Years
General Motors: GM U.S. Sales Increase 10%
Ford Motor Company: Ford Escape, Fusion Deliver Best-Ever August Sales; Company Sees Gains in Cars, Utilities and Trucks
Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Inc: Toyota Motor Sales Reports 40% Increase in August Sales
American Honda: American Honda Reports August Sales: Total Sales Up 59.5%
Nissan North America: Nissan North America Sales Increase 7.6% In August
Hyundai Motor America: Hyundai Motor America Reports Record August Sales
Kia Motors America: Kia Motors America Records 24th Consecutive Monthly Sales Record In August
Volkswagen of America, Inc.: Volkswagen Delivers Over 41,000 Vehicles in August, Reports a 62.5% Sales Increase vs. Prior Year
Porsche Cars North America, Inc.: Porsche Reports August Sales Increased 39%
Audi of America, Inc: Audi sets all-time U.S. August sales record with 13% increase
Subaru of America, Inc: Subaru Continues Hot Streak As August Sales Mark Nine Consecutive Months Of Gains
BMW Group U.S.: BMW Group U.S. Reports August 2012 Sales
Mercedes-Benz USA: Mercedes-Benz Posts August Sales Of 20,557
Mitsubishi Motors: Mitsubishi Motors Reports August Sales
Mazda North American Operations: Mazda Reports Sales in August Totaled 22,234 Vehicles