Chrysler December Sales Up 10 Percent

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

It’s the first sales day of the year, where automakers report their sales for the month, and in this case, for the whole last year. Chrysler is first out of the gate with the good news that December group sales rose 10 percent for the strongest December since the heydays of 2007.

Group sales for the year are up 21 percent in 2012 well above the projected 13 percent average industry increase.

  • FIAT brand sales up 59 percent in December
  • Dodge brand sales up 26 percent; best December sales since 2007
  • Ram Truck brand sales up 16 percent, best December sales since 2007
  • Chrysler brand sales up 6 percent; best December sales since 2007
  • Jeep brand sales down 9 percent in December, up 13 percent in 2012

We will keep our eyes on U.S. sales as they come in, please check back with us for updates.

Chrysler Group LLC U.S. Sales Summary Thru December 2012Month SalesVol %Sales CYTDVol %ModelCurr YrPr YrChangeCurr YrPr YrChange5003,7072,32559%43,77219,769121%FIAT BRAND3,7072,32559%43,77219,769121%2009,0809,213-1%125,47687,03344%Sebring0002,380-100%3007,1755,14240%70,74736,28595%PT Cruiser0001,328-100%Town & Country9,2589,619-4%111,74494,32018%CHRYSLER BRAND25,51323,9746%307,967221,34639%Compass3,1314,255-26%40,23547,709-16%Patriot4,5664,4004%62,01054,64713%Wrangler11,54511,4151%141,669122,46016%Liberty3,5086,161-43%75,48366,68413%Grand Cherokee17,12117,346-1%154,734127,74421%Commander000105-100%JEEP BRAND39,87143,577-9%474,131419,34913%Caliber311,417-98%10,17635,049-71%Dart6,1050New25,3030NewAvenger7,3826,21619%96,89064,02351%Charger7,8677,2119%82,59270,08918%Challenger3,9423,28420%43,11939,5349%Viper036-100%20197-90%Journey7,6884,71063%79,56355,15544%Caravan14,16011,87919%141,468110,86228%Nitro01,989-100%3,26924,434-87%Durango5,2164,8069%42,58951,697-18%DODGE BRAND52,39141,54826%524,989451,04016%Dakota0408-100%49012,156-96%Ram P/U30,21126,01316%293,363244,76220%Cargo Van674174287%7,075692NewRAM BRAND30,88526,59516%300,928257,61017%TOTAL CHRYSLER GROUP LLC152,367138,01910%1,651,7871,369,11421% TOTAL CAR45,28934,84430%498,095354,36241% TOTAL TRUCK107,078103,1754%1,153,6921,014,75514%
Bertel Schmitt
Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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  • -Cole- -Cole- on Jan 03, 2013

    So is Chrysler better than GM.

  • 340 Swinger 340 Swinger on Jan 04, 2013

    The Avenger....built for 2008, and a top safety pick now, gets an acceptable on the newest IIHS frontal partial crash test, meanwhile a new for 2012 Camry gets a poor rating. Now we now! The Neons were great gas milage cars, poor in a crash. The Caliber was the direct opposite. The Dart combines the good of both! I have a 70 Dart, I don't expect the new one to look like my old one, but the spirit is there. The old Dart was an affordable car with decent mileage, with some sporty ones v-8 equiped available. I see the same in the new one, the SRT one will be a modern day GTS, only it will corner and stop lots better! For now I would compare the 2.0 to the old slant six, and the 1.4, to say...a 4 barrel 273. Sorta thinking about getting a Dart myself. I don't agree with the "only 6% of car sales were manual trans" While it might be true, maybe only 6% cars were made with a manual? They may not be for everybody, but alot of it has to do with phones, laziness, well built autos, and people not learning to drive manual.

  • MaintenanceCosts I wish more vehicles in our market would be at or under 70" wide. Narrowness makes everything easier in the city.
  • El scotto They should be supping with a very, very long spoon.
  • El scotto [list=1][*]Please make an EV that's not butt-ugly. Not Jaguar gorgeous but Buick handsome will do.[/*][*] For all the golf cart dudes: A Tesla S in Plaid mode will be the fastest ride you'll ever take.[/*][*]We have actual EV owners posting on here. Just calmly stated facts and real world experience. This always seems to bring out those who would argue math.[/*][/list=1]For some people an EV will never do, too far out in the country, taking trips where an EV will need recharged, etc. If you own a home and can charge overnight an EV makes perfect sense. You're refueling while you're sleeping.My condo association is allowing owners to install chargers. You have to pay all of the owners of the parking spaces the new electric service will cross. Suggested fee is 100$ and the one getting a charger pays all the legal and filing fees. I held out for a bottle of 30 year old single malt.Perhaps high end apartments will feature reserved parking spaces with chargers in the future. Until then non home owners are relying on public charge and one of my neighbors is in IT and he charges at work. It's call a perk.I don't see company owned delivery vehicles that are EV's. The USPS and the smiley boxes should be the 1st to do this. Nor are any of our mega car dealerships doing this and but of course advertising this fact.I think a great many of the EV haters haven't came to the self-actualization that no one really cares what you drive. I can respect and appreciate what you drive but if I was pushed to answer, no I really don't care what you drive. Before everyone goes into umbrage over my last sentence, I still like cars. Especially yours.I have heated tiles in my bathroom and my kitchen. The two places you're most likely to be barefoot. An EV may fall into to the one less thing to mess with for many people.Macallan for those who were wondering.
  • EBFlex The way things look in the next 5-10 years no. There are no breakthroughs in battery technology coming, the charging infrastructure is essentially nonexistent, and the price of entry is still way too high.As soon as an EV can meet the bar set by ICE in range, refueling times, and price it will take off.
  • Jalop1991 Way to bury the lead. "Toyota to offer two EVs in the states"!
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