Data from Edmunds.com shows US carmakers' short-term market share (in light-vehicle sales) fell in August, likely caused by a new-car shortage, in turn caused by their inventory-busting employee discount programs. GM saw the largest drop, moving from 29% in July to 25% in August, while Toyota gained the most, rising in market share from 12% in July to 15% in August.
During that period, according to the Detroit News, Toyota and Honda grabbed a record share of the US light-vehicle market. Someday, car makers are going to become less focused on Wall Street's focus on quarter-to-quarter movements, and start coordinating their marketing and production plans to complement each other — and eliminate these kinds of supply-demand swings. After that, McDonalds will offer wheatgrass shakes and Disney will launch its cartoon-porn initiative. It'll be a kind of utopia.
Big 3 lose ground to the imports [The Detroit News]
Related:
Ford F-150 Pickup July Sales Break Record; Cadillac Uber Alles: GM Brand Overtakes Mercedes in Luxury-Car Sales [internal]