The European car market goes to where it has been going for a while: To the toilet.  February sales in the EU were down 10.5 percent year-on-year. Sales in February were  9.5 percent lower than an already disappointing  January.

Except for the UK (up 7.9 percent), all other European volume markets were down, ranging from -9.8 percent in Spain to -10.5 percent in Germany, -12.1 percent in France and -17.4 percent in Italy.

GM and Ford, both down more than 20 percent, were hit very hard and are the worst performing of the major makers.  Volkswagen is no longer walking on water, and sunk by 7.4 percent.

Data can be downloaded here as PDF, here as Excel.

Despite a  problematic Europe, despite a model changeover of Audi’s best-selling A3, and damn the Chinese New Year, Audi still managed the best February in its history.  Sales are up 3.2 percent overall.

The Chinese loss of 3.5 percent also looks benign and indicates a strong March. A miracle happened in Europe, with Audi booking a tiny gain.

Audi also gains TTAC’s  admiration for the best numbers presentation in the business. Everything in a neat table, current and prior year numbers, percentages, all here. Journalists don’t have to go into the archives, they don’t have to make deadly Excel mistakes. Danke!

Remember: You aren’t a global automaker if you don’t publish monthly global numbers.

GM also did the right and sensible thing, namely to add January and February up. For the first two months, GM’s sales in China are up 7.9 percent, which is pretty good.  The number would even be better, would results not continue to be dragged down by a still laggardly Wuling. Shanghai GM’s sales, i.e. those of Buick, Chevrolet, and Cadillac, are up 12.1 percent.

The Baojun brand was launched in February 2012, which makes that Jan/Feb comparison looks a little too rosy.

All in all, a good start, and a good early indicator of the health of the Chinese auto market, which had been shrouded in Chinese New Year fog for months.

This was tough month for the panel of analysts polled by Bloomberg: Analysts who previously monopolized the top ranks of the list blew this one. February was won by three bankers: Peter Nesvold in first, followed by Brian Johnson, and Patrick Archambault.

The specialists of  TrueCar and Edmunds find themselves at the bottom of the list of bona-fide guessers. What were you thinking, Jesse, a 15.7 SAAR? Jessica, Jessica: Too low for GM, way too high for Ford and Chrysler. Better luck next time.

Crazy double digit gains have given way to solid single digit growth (on top of the crazy gains of last year).  More importantly for American makers, pickups and SUVs are moving. Stay with us throughout sales day for updates of the sales table.

February 2013 U.S. New Light Vehicle Sales

(Final table courtesy Automotive News [sub]

Japanese automobile sales were down eight percent in  February 2013, compared to the same month in the prior year. This according to consolidated data by the Japan Automobile Dealers Association and the Japan Mini Vehicles Association.

Sales of regular vehicles, tallied by the Japan Automobile Dealers Association, were down 12.2 percent, a sixth month of decline after the stop of government subsidies. Sales of imported vehicles resist the downtrend. In February, nearly 10 percent of all regular cars were made outside of Japan, 6.5 percent by non-Japanese makers.

Sales of minivehicles, recorded by the Japan Mini Vehicles Association, were down slightly in February, and are flat for the year. Minivehicles  had seen growth in the past months, even after the subsides expired.

On a consolidated basis, sales are down, but still not the -25 percent that had been predicted for after the end of the subsidies.