Chrysler Sales Rise 35 Percent In June, Fail To Top 95k "Survival" Volume

Edward Niedermeyer
by Edward Niedermeyer

A year ago, Chrysler used one word to qualify nearly every sales figure it gave in its June 2009 sales report: Retail. Today, Chrysler blithely reports that overall sales were up 35 percent, but fails to use the “R” word even once in its June 2010 release, suggesting that it benefited from heavy fleet sales in the face of an otherwise soggy market. How else do you sell 3,978 Sebrings and 6,400 Avengers in a month? The fact that Dodge saw a 67 percent increase, although that was largely in comparison to the utterly wretched June the brand endured last year. In fact, compared to its relatively strong May performance of 104,819 units, Chrysler shed about 10k sales, falling to 92,482 total sales. That’s under the 95k monthly “survival” rate cited by CEO Sergio Marchionne. All this while Chrysler spends an estimated $1.4b on advertising this year. This, to paraphrase another automotive blogger, is beyond the valley of the not so good.

Edward Niedermeyer
Edward Niedermeyer

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  • Geo. Levecque Geo. Levecque on Jul 01, 2010

    No I have not seen them here in Canada but I have seen them and know people in the UK that have Fiat'a and they consider them as Rust Buckets! Each to his own I would think.

  • Daga Daga on Jul 01, 2010

    The Journey numbers are quite surprising. That is one of their most competitive mainstream vehicles outside of minivans and Rams.

  • Jerry Sutherland Jerry Sutherland on Jul 02, 2010

    Chrysler need to average 95K monthly sales so they're averaging 98.5K for the last 2 months. Guess it come down to half empty or half full...

  • Fizler Fizler on Dec 25, 2010

    Regarding the Chrysler fiasco is a story of complete management refusal to adapt . I especially love it when the news media reports sales increases for CHrysler when they were closed down for three months . Kinda misleading to talk of sales that are based on not making any ! Of the big three “American” Chrysler deserves to go under. They put all the chips into large big engines and lousy quality was considered par for the course. They produce 3 or four engines per category and think it’s the good old days of Plymouth and Chrysler and Dodge pushing the same model out with different names. They refuse to take note of the actual effort and quality control of the foreign manufacturers. Hyundai and Kia , Toyota and Lexus, Honda and Acura , Nissan and Infinity. Only Chrysler had the nerve to make what they call Chrysler a premium brand in name only. The Sebring constantly is shown as one of the worse vehicles in every report out on what not to buy. The PT had the beginnings of Mini Cooper status until they decided to bastardize the car with cheaper models that were less and less the original PT . In the end most dealers hardly had any new ones on the lot and that was their one shot to have an economical vehicle and it still didn’t hit 30 mpg . The real story should be why we should reward this company with any bailout at all. The factory doesn’t care about quality, the company didn’t care about the dealers or the salespeople whom for years depended on them to produce for them a vehicle to compete. Why did Ford come out of this with all their innovative cars as well as GM but to a lessor degree. Fiat is waiting to make its move anyway to get the distribution outlets and It cant be happy about the Chrysler inherent disregard for the market . How many cars have they come out with that took off great and then they shot themselves in the foot with the model ? 300C is a great vehicle but the base model should be outlawed on the road with its underpowered 2.7 engine which has known problems. The Dodge line actually had a hot truck the Dakota until they just decided to stop supporting it and went into the larger Ram full time leaving the Dakoat loyal customers to Tacoma and to a lessor truck like the S10 and Fords model . Sometimes it pays to have a company in the state that the President came from .. but this one needs to stand on its own 4 wheels or go . Its an evil company just ask Daimler and the rest of the investors that tried to set it right. Glen LoNigro

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