Big June New Car Sales Jump: Strong Month, Or Strong Will To Succeed?

Chrysler Group up 20 percent, GM up 16 percent, Toyota up 60 percent. Across the board sales up 22 percent (see table.)

June sales of new cars and trucks come in stronger than the cautious estimates of analysts. Why? America’s most successful sales predictor thinks everybody needed to “make that quarter.”

Edmunds Senior Analyst Michelle Krebs names the usual suspects:

“High auto sales volumes in June can be attributed to pent-up demand, some targeted incentive programs, low interest rates and falling gas prices. According to one of the latest consumer confidence surveys, consumers think now is a good time to buy a car, and they are finding deals on the 2012 model year vehicles that need to be cleared away.”

Her colleague, Edmunds Senior Analyst Jessica Caldwell has other suspicions:

“There was great pressure from automakers to close June strong, especially after the unexpectedly weak Memorial Day holiday weekend in May. It is the end of a quarter so undoubtedly they wanted to finish big. Two weak months in a quarter would make for unfavorable reporting.”

Table courtesy Automotive News [sub]

AutomakerJune 2012June 2011Pct. chng.6 month

20126 month

2011Pct. chng.BMW Group27,75226,8953%158,755143,70111% BMW division21,72521,6370%126,504113,70511% Mini5,9955,22815%32,05929,8168% Rolls-Royce32307%1921807%BMW Group27,75226,8953%158,755143,70111%Chrysler Group144,811120,39420%834,068639,93230% Chrysler Division26,86316,52963%167,75496,06875% Dodge44,31543,4012%261,578229,89814% Dodge/Ram69,42565,9485%404,061349,99615% Fiat4,0041,803122%20,7064,944319% Jeep44,51936,11423%241,547188,92428% Ram25,11022,54711%142,483120,09819%Chrysler Group144,811120,39420%834,068639,93230%Daimler AG25,39222,89611%142,649120,58818% Maybach4333%241833% Mercedes-Benz24,37122,5638%137,877118,01417% Smart USA1,017330208%4,7482,55686%Daimler AG25,39222,89611%142,649120,58818%Ford Motor Co.207,204193,4157%1,140,3831,069,7367% Ford division199,660186,0547%1,098,4211,027,4857% Lincoln7,5447,3613%41,96242,0030% Mercury–––%–248–100%Ford Motor Co.207,204193,4157%1,140,3831,069,7367%General Motors248,750215,33516%1,315,7131,261,6104% Buick18,85114,86827%90,19893,599–4% Cadillac12,12410,86012%62,81276,122–18% Chevrolet180,098156,83815%961,662904,5386% GMC37,67732,76915%201,041187,3517%General Motors248,750215,33516%1,315,7131,261,6104%Honda (American)124,80883,89249%700,982607,44215% Acura15,3708,70877%72,93660,68020% Honda Division109,43875,18446%628,046546,76215%Honda (American)124,80883,89249%700,982607,44215%Hyundai Group115,139104,25310%645,376567,90014% Hyundai division63,81359,2098%356,669322,79711% Kia51,32645,04414%288,707245,10318%Hyundai Group115,139104,25310%645,376567,90014%Jaguar Land Rover4,6324,5412%27,49723,70216% Jaguar1,0301,389–26%6,5066,4102% Land Rover3,6023,15214%20,99117,29221%Jaguar Land Rover4,6324,5412%27,49723,70216%Maserati22818921%1,2881,09717%Maserati22818921%1,2881,09717%Mazda19,91119,3073%143,797122,37918%Mazda19,91119,3073%143,797122,37918%Mitsubishi5,4118,299–35%32,87344,115–26%Mitsubishi5,4118,299–35%32,87344,115–26%Nissan92,23771,94028%577,721504,97314% Infiniti10,4366,28166%54,37747,26815% Nissan Division81,80165,65925%523,344457,70514%Nissan92,23771,94028%577,721504,97314%Porsche3,0022,54618%16,45015,5426%Porsche3,0022,54618%16,45015,5426%Saab Cars North America–323–100%–3,471–100%Saab Cars NA–323–100%–3,471–100%Subaru27,70219,79440%164,304132,04924%Subaru27,70219,79440%164,304132,04924%Suzuki2,2992,2781%12,99413,402–3%Suzuki2,2992,2781%12,99413,402–3%Toyota177,795110,93760%1,046,096812,78829% Lexus20,02210,77386%12,99413,402–3% Scion8,4003,456143%35,12126,62132% Toyota division149,37396,70855%902,843698,15729% Toyota/Scion157,773100,16458%937,964724,77829%Toyota177,795110,93760%1,046,096812,78829%Volkswagen51,05738,67332%274,960210,87730% Audi12,66410,05126%65,15855,90917% Bentley22317825%1,07784328% VW division38,17028,44434%208,725154,12535%Volkswagen51,05738,67332%274,960210,87730%Volvo Cars NA7,1077,1000%34,61836,304–5%Volvo Cars NA7,1077,1000%34,61836,304–5%Other (estimate)2622562%1,5721,5333%TOTAL1,285,4991,053,26322%7,272,0966,333,14115%