GM January Sales Drop 50.8%

GM sales were down 50.8% adjusted per sales day. GM January total car sales of 43,943 were off 58% and total truck sales (including crossovers) were down 42% compared with a year ago. Yikes! More »

Toyota January Sales Drop 34.4%

Toyota reported January, 2009 sales of 117,287 vehicles, a decrease of 34.4% from last January. Even the new Venza sold only a mere 1,394 units in January. More »

Ford U.S. January Sales Down 44%

Ford US auto sales were down 44% in January, worse than the 31.9% drop expected by analysts. Anything larger than a Ford Focus was hit hard. SUV sales? Down over 50%. Trucks? Down over 40%. More »

Chrysler December Sales Down 53%, Inventory At 115-Day Supply

Chrysler sales for December, 2008 were down 53% compared with December, 2007. Although pickup sales were up 10%, the automaker finished the month with 397,659 units on hand, a 115-day supply of inventory.

Pickup Trucks Overtake Econoboxes, Return To Top Sales Spot In October

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Car Industry Carnage: October Sales Wrap-Up

Sales results released yesterday confirmed October was another month of dismal vehicle sales in the U.S. market. Of the top players, General Motors fared worst, seeing sales plunge 45.4% from the same month a year earlier. Chrysler was down 34.9%, while Ford was down 29.2%. Of the import "big three," Nissan dropped 33% year-over-year, while Honda was down 25.2% and Toyota saw sales drop just 23%, no doubt saved by zero. The total light vehicle sales drop across the board comes out to just under 32%, which explains why crazy ideas like a GM/Chrysler merger are suddenly making sense. Sort of. [WSJ]

Volvo Trucks Posts 99.7% Decline In Euro Truck Orders Over Last Quarter

One of the behemoths of the global heavy trucking industry, Volvo Trucks, has reported a truly shocking decline in sales for the third quarter of this year. Volvo claims a 99.7% reduction in demand compared to the same period a year ago. That means orders went from 41,970 trucks in the third quarter of 2007 to just 115 in the third quarter of 2008. No, that's not a typo, one hundred fifteen trucks on order across Europe. Global sales for Volvo have declined 55% and its partners Scania, Renault and Mack are reporting sharp declines in orders as well. Ladies and gentlemen, if you ever wanted an indication of what things may come, this may be the strongest one we've seen yet. Financiapocalype, ho! [ThisIsMoney]

Toyota: Credit Not Responsible For Current Sales Slump, But Please Hurry Up And Fix!

Jim Lentz, Toyota's US sales chief, told the Detroit News yesterday that consumer financing isn't their challenge right now; rather, low consumer confidence is keeping buyers out of showrooms. "The vast majority of our customers are able to get approved for loans," said Lentz, claiming that a record number of consumers are postponing car purchases. Dealers across the country are singing a similar tune, saying that well-qualified buyers can still get financing, but continuing bad economic news is keeping buyers out of showrooms. As the report notes, though, consumer confidence isn't an easy ship to right once it begins to list. More »

Maserati May Set All-Time Sales Record In 2008

Believe it or not, Maserati is on track to set an all-time sales record for 2008. We know it's hard to believe, what with products that are criminally gorgeous and an explosion of golden parachutes to pay for them. Sales are up 40% year-over-year, with the bulk coming from the Maserati Quattroporte (you know, the one you decided was best not in the JFG), set to sell over 7,000 units this year. That doesn't mean the Maserati Gran Turismo isn't holding up its end, especially now that they're apparently hot with the gay community. More »

Chrysler Reports 32.8% September Sales Decline

Chrysler LLC is reporting September sales declines of 32.8% over the same period a year earlier, with results battered by the same economic forces other automakers are up against. Chrysler Finance also discontinued leasing at the end of July, marking September as another month Chrysler dealers had to find alternative sources of lease financing; Chrysler has tried to provide interest rates and loan terms that provide payments similar to lease payments consumers have been used to.

Toyota September Sales Down 32%; Honda Drops 24%

As clear proof that today's recession is an equal-opportunity unemployer, Toyota has posted a September sales decline of 32% from a year earlier — one of the worst results in the company's 50 years of US sales — while Honda sank 24% in the face of the consumer credit crisis. The declines at Toyota and Honda reinforce analysts' perceptions that auto sales are now being affected more by the US economic crisis than they are by high fuel prices. More sales numbers as we get them.

GM September Sales Drop 15.6%

General Motors reported a 15.6% decline in September sales versus the same period a year earlier. While still posting a decline, GM topped analysts expectations of an approximately 25% drop. GM was hurt by the same market forces affecting other manufacturers, but the company likely stemmed some of the bleeding by extending its "Employee Pricing for Everyone" incentive through the end of September. More sales numbers as we receive them.

Ford Sales Drop 34% In September

Ford is reporting a 34% drop in sales from the same period a year earlier within its core Ford/Lincoln/Mercury brands. Total sales were 116,734 for September 2008 versus over 175,361 during September 2007. The results make September the lowest sales month this year for Ford and the tenth consecutive month of declining sales. On a related note, Volvo, while not included in Ford's 34% drop, reported a nearly 52% decline in sales from September 2007. More numbers as they come in.

September Auto Sales To Seriously Suck

Automotive News is reporting a bleak day in the making as automakers report their September sales numbers, expected to be off 20% from a year earlier. Shriveling credit markets, continued high fuel prices and a general lack of confidence in the economy are all contributing to push the annualized sales rate down to an estimated 12.5-13.5 million vehicles from 16.2 million last September. If predictions hold, the resulting new vehicle sales numbers could be the lowest in more than a decade. So how do dealers on the front lines see the situation? More »

GM August Sales Down 20.7% From August 2007; Still Best Sales Month In 2008

General Motors is reporting total August 2008 sales down 20.7% from August 2007; the report had a silver lining, however, as August marked the best month for GM sales in 2008 largely due to the popular Employee Pricing for Everyone sale the automaker has been running since Aug. 20. That sale has since been extended through September 30 and expanded to include some 2009 models. Car sales rose at Chevrolet, Cadillac and Pontiac, while GM also reported a 29% increase in sales of its Lambda-based crossovers, the Saturn Outlook, GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave. Full release after the jump. More »

Toyota August Sales Down 9.4%, Lexus Off 9.1%

Toyota is reporting total US sales were down 9.4% for August 2008 as compared to the same period a year earlier. Trucks led the decline with a drop of 17.6%, though Toyota cars also declined 3.4%. Bright spots for Toyota included the Yaris subcompact, which was up 20.5%, and, inexplicably, the huge Sequoia SUV, which was up 86.1% from August 2007. And, for those of you counting, total Toyota hybrid sales for August 2008 (including Lexus hybrids) came in at 19,529 units, more than 13,000 of which were from Prius. Full release after the jump. More »

Ford Reports 26% Sales Decline In August, SUVs Down 53%

Ford is reporting August US sales of its Ford, Lincoln and Mercury brands are down 26% over the same period a year earlier, mainly due to continuing weakness in truck and SUV sales. While trucks are off 39%, the really breathtaking number is the 53% decline in SUV sales — despite the fact that Ford is touting a 17% rise in Escape deliveries. Focus sales were also up 23%, and the folks in Dearborn say that part of the sales decline is due to a 31% decrease in deliveries to fleet customers; generally not considered such a bad thing except when, you know, nothing else is selling either. Full press release after the jump. More »

Toyota Lays Off 800 Contract Workers In Japan

Toyota is laying off 800 contract workers at its Fukuoka plant in southern Japan, the first time it has canceled work contracts before they're complete. The plant currently builds the Lexus RX330 and the Toyota Highlander, which are feeling the effects of the American SUV sales slump. After Toyota's announcement of an 18.7% year-over-year sales decline for July, this is the least they could do to make it look like they're having the same hard time everyone else is. Only difference here is they're planning on hiring 500 workers back in the fall, when sales are expected to increase. [Wall Street Journal]

Report: Fewer Web Shoppers Researching Chrysler Products

Chrysler July sales dropped below the 100,000 unit mark as consumers began to show signs that they've lost confidence in the company, reports Automotive News. While Chrysler's announcement that it would suspend leasing August 1 caused a last-minute flurry of shoppers, more ominous was a report by Complete.com that Chrysler's June "shopper count," its number of online product inquiries on major automotive Web sites, fell to the company's second-lowest on record. Hmm; loss of customer interest and no leases. Where could this be going? More »

Chrysler Sales Drop 29% In July

Chrysler LLC has reported a 29% unadjusted July sales decline from the same period a year earlier, primarily due to the market collapse of pickup trucks and large SUVs and a planned reduction in fleet sales. Minivans were a surprising bright spot for the company, with combined Town & Country and Grand Caravan sales enjoying a 21% increase, while incentives on Ram truck helped improve sales significantly over June despite being down 27% from July 2007. Full release after the jump. More »

GM Sales Down 32.4% In July

The General delivered 235,184 vehicles in the month of July, a drop of 32.4% from July of last year, adjusted by sales days and a greater drop than expected. We're still digesting, but here are some of the big numbers — truck sales were down 40.4%, car sales were down 18.9%. GM's brands with the biggest drops percentage-wise were Hummer (as expected) at 64.6%, Buick at 44.5% and GMC down 42.5%. But the biggest news has to be the revenue drop. GM's quarterly revenue in the NorAm region was $19.8 billion, down almost $10 billion from the same quarter last year. Still — there are a few bright spots — the Cadillac CTS is up 27%, the Chevy Malibu is up an astounding 64.8% and the Chevy Aveo is up 7.9%. Full press release below the jump. More »

Honda July Sales Down 9.2%; Cars Set Record

Honda has posted a 9.2% total sales decline for July 2008, adjusted for daily selling rate. While the Japanese manufacturer saw car sales set a record, rising 6.7%, light-truck sales droped 27.8%, dragging down the company's total. The subcompact Honda Fit and the Civic Hybrid broke previous sales records, rising 78.5% and 27.4%, respectively. Full release after the jump. More »

Nissan July Sales Up 8.5%

Sources tell us that Nissan July US sales were up a cumulative 8.5%, but not on the strength of its luxury division. While Nissan brand sales rose 9.9%, the luxury brand Infiniti dropped 2.9% for the month. More details to come as soon as we get them.

Toyota US Sales Drop 18.7% In July

CNBC is reporting Toyota US car sales are down 8.3%. They also claim truck sales have plunged 32%, for a cumulative 18.7% sales drop versus the same month last year. While we don't have a release yet to elaborate, it seems Toyota's recent sales number warnings have been spot-on, and the company is being hit by the deteriorating US market just as hard as the "Big Three." More details as we get them. UPDATE: Toyota press release now posted below the jump. More »

Ford Sales Drop 14.9% In July

Ford sold 161,530 vehicles during the month of July, a drop of 14.9% from the same month last year — and down 21.5% when adjusted per sales day. While we're still sifting through the very lacking-in-focus-but-not-Focus press release, some numbers jump out at us — Volvo saw a drop in sales of 46.3% from the same month last year. Predictably, SUVs were down 54.4%. Still, one bright spot for Ford was car sales, up 7.8%. Oh, and there's something in the monthly sales press release below the jump on the Ford Focus. More »

Ford Issues Most Pathetic Press Release Of All Time, Offers Employee Pricing On All F-Series Trucks

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Civic Selling Like Flapjacks, Could Outsell Accord For First Time

Holy gas prices, Batman! Automotive News is reporting this morning strong sales of the Honda's gas-sipping Civic were up 14.8% to 111,695 units through the first four months of the year, and appeared to be looking good for May. Although we'll find out what the fifth month had to say when sales numbers are released later today, for the moment, AN's Kathy Jackson is reporting that Dick Colliver, Honda America's sales chief claims he's expecting sales of 40,000 to 45,000 units during the month. That would be enough to top sales numbers of the Accord, the reigning sales champ from the number two super best awesome automaker from the land of the rising sun. More »

Japanese Domestic Sales Slump to 35 Year Low

Good thing the automakers from the land of the rising sun don't rely on the hometown crowd for much of their profits. The BBC is reporting recent figures indicate the continuing decline in Japanese auto sales has reached a 35 year sales low. The trend has been blamed on everything from wage stagnation to high price of ownership to population gentrification. Some of the year over year numbers are pretty shocking, Toyota was down 6%, Nissan fell 9.7%, and Daihatsu plummeted almost 50%. Makes the situation in the US look not so bad doesn't it?