The Truth About Cars » By The Numbers

American Editorial: Huzzah! First Single-Digit Drop In 17 Months!

Bertel Schmitt — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:22:18 +0000

Prepare yourself for an increasing number of „good news“ along the following lines: „October U.S. auto sales should be down about 6 percent from a year ago, marking the first single-digit monthly decline since May 2008, industry forecasting firm J.D. Power and Associates said on Friday.” Glad tidings, brought to you by Reuters. Times must be really [...]

By the Numbers: August Sales Finish in Epäonnistuminen

Frank Williams — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 12:14:21 +0000

In Finnish, August is elokuu, the "month of life." Automakers selling vehicles in the U.S. market missed the irony, as most A) don't speak Finnish and B) finished one of their worst sales months ever. Even company-wide sales promotions didn’t do anything to put paddles to chest. Ford asked us to “Drive One” (wouldn’t it be more effective if they asked us to “Buy One”?), and GM shared employee pricing (maybe if they threw in the employee health program... ) while Chrysler invited us to “Shop until you drive” (again, where's the “buy” part?). Toyota and Honda aren’t showing that kind of desperation. Yet. But they still felt some pain. Let's take a closer look at the katastrofi.

By the Numbers: July Sizzles, Sales Fizzle

Frank Williams — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 21:00:46 +0000

July's temperatures may have been hotter than Hell, but U.S. new car sales were in Hell. Rising gas prices have thrown the entire American auto industry into turmoil, flooding the market with used SUVs and pickups, cratering residual values and trapping millions of consumers in light truck limbo. At the same time, automakers can't ramp-up production quickly enough on those fuel-sipping models that are leaving the lots. Incentives aren't moving the metal, but NOT increasing them would be worse. The downturn is widespread. And despite what the automakers say, it's going to get worse. Soon. For now, here's the damage report.

By The Numbers: What is So Rare as a Truck Sold in June?

Frank Williams — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:37:40 +0000

Everyone in the car biz knows that June was a catastrophic month for the U.S. new car market. Total sales dropped by 18.3 percent. The big change this time 'round: it wasn't just light trucks that took it on the chin. Car sales received some body blows, as well. If you're an auto industry exec [still] living in denial, it's best to stop here. If not, read 'em and weep. [NB: As per TTAC policy, sales numbers not adjusted for "sales days."]

By the Numbers: Mayday! Mayday! We’re Going Down!

Frank Williams — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 12:02:25 +0000

May was a disaster for American new car sales. Practically every player in the U.S. market ended-up the month trailing last May's totals, many by a significant margin. Perhaps the most damning indicator of the industry's general direction: the F-150's sudden and precipitous drop from the top sales spot. Ford's full-size pickup wasn't just edged out; it was defenestrated by four different cars. The Civic, Camry, Accord and Corolla all mounted the Mother of All Palace Coups. With gas prices singing "the only way it up," clearly, May is only the start of a long, hot, bloody summer.

April Snapshot: Sales Tank, Inventory Bloats, Fire Sales Simmer

Frank Williams — Mon, 19 May 2008 10:54:55 +0000

Union problems, soaring gas prices and a faltering economy made April the worst month for new vehicle sales since 1995. Continued production in the face of diminished demand helped maintain the manufacturer's cash flow, but it lead to the inevitable: swollen inventories. In other words, even as U.S. new car sales go down the toilet, the toilet's backing-up. Fix the number 60 in your mind (the ideal number of days' supply for a new vehicle on a dealer's lot) and take a look at what's going down at your local dealer's lot.

By the Numbers: April Showers Brought No Relief

Frank Williams — Fri, 09 May 2008 13:25:59 +0000

Remember back in 2004, Ford unveiled its new Focus and announced "The Year of The Car?" FoMoCo's cash cow was (and still is) a pickup truck. Clock FoMoCo's passenger car offerings four years later, and you'd be forgiven for thinking the auto show hyperbole was just that. But now it's here for real: the year of the car. In April, passenger cars outsold trucks in the U.S. new vehicle market for the first time in two decades. This is a truly amazing moment in U.S. automotive history, representing the roll-back of the SUV boom. With federal fuel economy regulations in the offing, it's unlikely that even a huge drop in gas prices can reverse the tide. Let's take a closer look at this watershed month.

By the Numbers Special Edition: Now for Some Positive Sales Numbers

Frank Williams — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:57:18 +0000

TTAC's monthly By The Numbers editorial tracks everything from fuel-sucking SUVs to the gas-sipping Prius. In this month's report, the sales stat were bleak almost across the board. Almost, but not quite. Economy car sales are, as you'd expect, relatively robust. To bring a little joy to readers fed-up with a steady stream of bad news, I decided to chart new car sales for subcompacts and compacts from the "Big 6:" Chrysler, Ford, GM, Honda, Nissan and Toyota). The stats run for all of '07, and year-to-date. Here's how the so-called bottom of the automotive food chain is looking, with review links and inventory levels thrown-in for good measure...

By the Numbers: Sales March… Off a Cliff

Frank Williams — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 14:07:09 +0000

March comes in like a lion and leaves like a lamb. As far as auto sales were concerned, the month came in like a dead fish and left like... a pile of dead fish. While the raw sales numbers rose from February's levels, total sales were down by 12 percent compared to March of last year. Year to date (YTD), total sales were off by eight percent. Reflecting higher gas prices, light truck sales dropped by 17.8 percent; car sales "only" sank 5.9 percent. Here's how our individual bellwether models fared...

By The Numbers: No Valentines This February

Frank Williams — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 16:31:08 +0000

In February, lovers old and new turn their attention to matters of the heart. No 'bout a doubt it: automakers weren't feeling the love. Overall U.S. light vehicle sales dropped 6.3 percent in February and 5.3 percent for the year. With precious few exceptions, sales were down across the board. And this time, the usually impervious foreign nameplates and transplants felt the pain along with their Detroit counterparts (although not quite as badly). Let's take a closer look at the love's labor lost.

By The Numbers January ‘08: A Not-So-Happy New Year

Frank Williams — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 13:08:23 +0000

Even before 2008 arrived, industry experts were predicting a bad, bad thing. So far, they haven't been disappointed. While January tends to be a low sales month, as everyone tries to recover from holiday overindulgence, this January was worse than expected. There were a few inexplicable bright spots (*cough* channel stuffing *cough* dealer fleet sales *cough*). Sales of the Dodge Caliber (up 25.5 percent over last January), Ford Focus (up 44.4 percent), Buick LaCrosse (up 69.3 percent) and Chevy Cobalt (up 32.9 percent) all shot up. But these four-wheeled anomalies weren't enough to salvage the month. Let's break it down...

By The Numbers: December. Bah Humbug!

Frank Williams — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 14:31:32 +0000

Santa left a lump of coal in the automakers' stockings this year. Even the usual Christmas sales failed to put presents under the tree. As the year drew to a close, new car and truck sales were down across the board, with carmakers jostling for the honor of doing less badly than the other guy. New Year's was a decidedly dour affair, with manufacturers clocking the housing downturn and the mortgage crisis and predicting either flat or "slightly lowered" sales in the year ahead. Translation: batten down the hatches; it's about to get rough. Ain't that the truth.

By The Numbers: No-vember

Frank Williams — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 11:56:45 +0000

What a difference a month makes. The euphoria created by October's U.S. sales gains ended abruptly; November numbers fell like autumn leaves. Total light vehicle sales sank 1.6 percent compared to November last year, down 3.4 percent year-to-date (YTD). U.S. light truck sales did a November nose-dive, down 6.8 percent if you include crossovers, down 15.5 percent if you don't. In this inhospitable climate, Toyota sales shot by Chevrolet for the month, leaving Ford in the dust. While Chevy should end the year in the number two slot, Ford's stuck at number three, accounting for just 13 percent of the market. And once again, The Big 2.8's combined market share fell below fifty percent. So, it was more of the same, only more so.

By The Numbers: October Sales Scary for Some

Frank Williams — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 11:11:06 +0000

October was a tricky month with few treats for the auto industry. Overall, total U.S. sales just about broke even, ending-up with a 1.2 percent increase over October of last year. Year-to-date (YTD) sales sank 2.5 percent. Ford and Chrysler were the biggest losers; both domestic automaker suffered big decreases from the month last year and continuing to drop in the annual numbers. Here's how our bellwether models finished the month.

By The Numbers: September Sales Fall Like Leaves

Frank Williams — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 11:08:50 +0000

September wasn't kind to the auto industry. Total U.S. light vehicle sales ended the month 2.9 percent below September 2006. The year-to-date (YTD) news wasn't very encouraging either; sales for the first nine months of 2007 are 2.8 percent below the same time last year. Of The Big 2.8, only GM finished the month (barely) in the black. Ford, Chrysler, and Toyota all posted declines compared with last September. Looking at our four-wheeled sampler, separating the winners from the losers is a matter of seeing who lost less.

By the Numbers: August Sales Not So August

Frank Williams — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 14:52:12 +0000

August's U.S. sales results are in. Upon their release, GM crowed about their market-bucking triumph-- neglecting to mention the fact that 25 percent of those sales sailed with the fleets. Meanwhile, Chrysler blamed its sales decline on diminished fleet flogging. Ford was "encouraged by sales of their crossover vehicles" (i.e. stuck in the dog house). And Toyota pinned their sales drop on the subprime lending crisis and a supply-line interrupting Japanese earthquake. Whatever. Bottom line: August wasn't kind to many of the models we're tracking on your behalf.

By The Numbers: July Sizzles, Sales Fizzle

Frank Williams — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 16:59:35 +0000

Just as American automakers were trying to wean themselves off of fleet sales, just as The Big 2.8 were looking to reduce incentives and bounce back from a slow June, July. In July, practically every U.S. economic indicator took a downturn, from housing starts to the stock market. While American auto sales didn't plummet, they took a major hit. Even Toyota was not immune from the fallout; the numbers rolling in proving that ToMoCo's not invulnerable to a bad market. Damage report Spock.

By The Numbers: Beware The Ides Of June

Frank Williams — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 16:28:23 +0000

The June auto industry’s sales results are in. The numbers have sent shock waves throughout Detroit— a town that’s become increasingly familiar with seismic events. Although sales tend to slip slightly as the model year winds down, these figures are stimulating some serious hand-wringing amongst The Big 2.8. When you factor in/out fleet sales, the future looks bleak.

By The Numbers: May Showers Detroit’s Customers with Profit-Killing Incentives

Frank Williams — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 16:07:21 +0000

Last month, I field tested a new methodology for analyzing the American car market. Reader feedback on TTAC’s month-by-month sales charts of “key” U.S. models was overwhelmingly positive. Your most excellent comments and insightful methodological suggestions were noted, logged and, where possible, incorporated. OK, so, May car sales were the highest so far this calendar year. Without further ado, here’s how our 19 models floated within this rising tide.

By The Numbers: Hope Springs Eternal; April Sales Prove Elusive

Frank Williams — Thu, 10 May 2007 11:09:43 +0000

This month, a new approach. I’ve picked examples from the Big 2.5 and Toyota in four categories: passenger car, full-sized pickup truck, truck-based SUV and small SUV/CUV. I've also chosen one brand-new model from each of the 2.5. If this approach finds favor, we’ll follow these 19 vehicles through the calendar year, comparing their U.S. sales each month with sales from 2005 and 2006. I've also shown major rebates ($5K and over) and the "employee pricing" incentives from 2005. Once we’ve looked at how well these key vehicles are selling, we’ll look at overall sales to see how the individual models’ sales track with the overall sales trends from their makers. Capisco? Here we go!

By The Numbers: March Sales Figures; Trouble Ahead for GMT900 Pickups?

Frank Williams — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 16:10:45 +0000

Beware the Ides of March! OK, relax. The sales figures are in for Julius Caesar’s final month. While it's hard to find new ways to say "GM, Ford and Chrysler sales are sinking while Toyota's eating their lunch" month after month, it's not impossible. How about this: The Big 2.5 look more and more like Lawrence Edward Grace Oates (to Toyota’s Roald Amundsen). “I am just downsizing and may be gone for some time.” Anyway, the more things change, the more they change the same.

By The Numbers: February Sales Analysis; Spring has Sprung

Frank Williams — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 16:25:04 +0000

After a bleak January, February offered Detroit automakers a whiff of spring. The Chevrolet Impala had a 60’s sales flashback. Thousands more customers went fission for Fusions. And Chrysler Wrangled plenty of loot from new Jeep owners (boosting their bottom line to help Daimler get the Hell out of Dodge). While The Big 2.5’s supporters may conclude that the numbers presage Motown’s long-awaited recovery, starting a Deathwatch Deathwatch may be a bit premature.