Chrysler Sales Drop Nine Percent
This is “sip Bacardi like it’s your birthday” news in Chryslerland. Seriously, big up yourselves, ChryCo. Single-digit declines in the house (if only when compared to last summer’s dismal showing)! Having paraphrased the monthly press release, let’s get down to the numbers, shall we?
As TTAC noted just a few days ago, the Chrysler brand is toast. Sebring had its best month in . . . well, a long time, but still declined 27 percent. 300 was down a big 40 percent, while Aspen nearly dropped off the radar with a mere 402 sales. The PT Cruiser (+24 percent, 4,092 units) and Town And Country (-15 percent, 6,837 units) are the volume leaders for the Chrysler brand. Does that not say it all?
Further cementing the argument that ChryCo should kill Chrysler and make Dodge the volume brand: The Dodge Boys’ ability to cash in on the government’s CARS program. Avenger (5,616) creamed Sebring sales The Caliber outsold every single Chrysler nameplate. Even Charger (2,663) beat the 300, while Caravan (8,405) beat T&C, and the Journey stayed alive at 4,165.
Dodge’s major disappointment: the Challenger, which appears to have already thrown in the towel on the pony car wars at 886 units. At least the flash in the pan was fun while it lasted.
Jeep was the most consistent brand in the ChryCo stable, with only Commander (-81 percent to 522 units) falling off a cliff. And the Patriot’s success (+134 percent, to 8,084 units) was enough to make up for it. Man, is the small SUV the segment to be in or what?
Wrangler was not quite as resilient as it was through last summer, falling 25 percent year-on-year. Compass climbed back on the C4C coattails, however, coaxing 2,736 units out the door (+95 percent).
More by Edward Niedermeyer
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I'm proclaiming it a success because the money dried up so quickly, that's all. We will see what August looks like if the program is extended.
Since Chrysler matched the C4C rebate they basically gave a $ 9,000 rebate (of course, $ 9,000 tax payer money one way or the other). Wow, with $ 9,000 rebate sales only declined by 9% from already very low numbers? I think I could sell my cat's poo with that kind of rebate and would increase my sales.
I also think the Challenger numbers are at least partially impacted by inventory - practically none in the Boston area, haven't been in a while. I think the factory was idled in May or June?
Brampton Assembly in Ontario (home of the Challenger/Charger/300) shutdown May 1st and only restarted production at the start of July. I am sure this at least partially explains the low Challenger volumes. I don't imagine the mess with Chrysler Financial/GMAC helped either. Even if a car was built it might have been held hostage somewhere until that all sorted out. FYI - the local Dodge Dealer here seems to have no trouble moving his Challengers. They seem to disappear off of his lot within a week. The bad news is I bet he only gets about 5 units a month. It's a great looking car - too bad.