October may mark the first time this year that U.S. auto sales, not counting fleets, improved for two consecutive months. That’s according to a mid-month forecast from J.D. Power and Associates. Of course, there’s no such thing as unalloyed good news in the auto industry these days. J.D. Power also slightly trimmed its full-year 2010 forecast for the second month in a row. This time, the cut was by 100,000 units, to 9.1 million retail units, or 11.5 million including fleet sales. That’s because U.S. auto sales are improving, but not as quickly as expected.
So far this year, U.S. auto sales were up about 10 percent through September, to about 8.6 million, according to AutoData. One unexpected result within that total is that truck sales are up about 16 percent, while car sales are up only about 5 percent. The Ford (F) F-150 pickup is well on its way to its 34th year in a row as the nation’s best-selling truck. For most of that time, it’s been the best-selling vehicle, car or truck.
For October, J.D. Power said retail auto sales are expected to top an annual rate of 10 million for the first time this year. That’s anemic, or maybe pitiful, by pre-2008 standards, but a positive direction, at least.
The widely quoted Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate for U.S. auto sales is an estimate of how high sales would be for the entire year at the current sales rate, adjusting for seasonal fluctuations. J.D. Power pegged the SAAR for the month, including fleet sales, at 11.9 million, up from only 10.4 million in October 2009.
Edmunds.com, the consumer shopping and auto research web site, said separately it estimated the October SAAR at 12.2 million. “It seems we are significantly out of (above) the range that we’ve been in all year,” said CEO Jeremy Anwyl, in a written statement. The company expects end-of-year sales to draw in additional shoppers in November and December.
“It’s suggestive that consumers are feeling enough confidence to buy a car, maybe because of the activity of the stock market, or perhaps because of the promises being made by candidates for the upcoming election. Good news typically feeds on good news, so hopefully the trend continues,” Anwyl said.

Toyota Leads Japan October Car Sales to Lowest Since 1968 as Subsidies End

By Makiko Kitamura and Yuki Hagiwara - Nov 1, 2010 1:59 AM ET Mon Nov 01 05:59:07 GMT 2010
Plunging demand for Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. cars led Japan’s October auto sales to the lowest level for the month in 42 years after a government subsidy program ended.
Registrations for October were the weakest since 1968 as sales of cars, trucks and buses, excluding minicars, fell 27 percent from a year earlier to 193,258 vehicles, the Japan Automobile Dealers Association said in a statement today. Toyota, the world’s largest carmaker, sold 101,518 units, excluding Lexus-brand cars, a decline of 24 percent.
Industrywide car sales in Japan may fall 23 percent in the six months through March 31 after a government subsidy for fuel- efficient cars ended Sept. 8, according to the Japan Automobile Dealers Association.
“The biggest declines are coming from automakers that offered many models that were eligible for the government subsidies,” said Michiro Saito, head of general affairs and statistics at the association. Automakers also worry that consumer fears over the nation’s economy may slow a recovery in sales, he said.
Sales of Honda fell 30 percent to 30,422 vehicles last month, while Nissan Motor Co. dropped 31 percent and Mazda Motor Corp. plunged 52 percent, the association said.
Shares in Toyota, the world’s largest carmaker, fell 1.9 percent to 2,805 yen in Tokyo trading as of 2:28 p.m., while Honda dropped 5 percent.

U.S. Edmunds.com Expects Oct. Auto Sales of 11.9 Mln

By Chris Middleton - Nov 1, 2010 8:03 AM ET Mon Nov 01 12:03:59 GMT 2010

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U.S. new vehicle sales are expected to fall 3.4 percent compared to last month, according to Edmunds.com. October sales are estimated at 920,200 units, with the Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate expected to be 11.9 million units.
Edmunds.com is a website dedicated to educating automotive consumers with price estimates and other data.

Subaru of America, Inc. Sets October Sales Record









-- Best October Ever for Subaru of America --

--Best October Ever for Outback, Forester, and Legacy Sedan --

-- October Sales Increase 25%; YTD Sales up 23% --

-- New Annual Record to be established this week --



CHERRY HILL, N.J., Nov. 2, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Subaru of America, Inc. continued its winning sales streak with best-ever October results of 22,720 units, exceeding the previous "best-ever" result set in 2009 by over 25%. Driving these results were record sales for the Outback, Forester, and Legacy Sedan. Subaru year-to-date sales now total 216,334 units – a 23% increase compared to last year. The October year-to-date result puts the brand within a few hundred sales of a new annual record.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080325/SUBARULOGO )
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080325/SUBARULOGO )
"Our 618 Subaru retailers throughout the country again did an outstanding job efficiently turning their inventory and generating record sales," said Timothy M. Colbeck, senior vice president of sales, Subaru of America, Inc. "We had sales increases with our four core carlines. In addition, the launch of our new WRX and STI models has been a huge success – collectively up 50% compared to last October."
Carline

Kia Motors America Announces Record October Sales









Year-To-Date Sales Up 14.6 Percent; 2011 Sorento Eclipses 85,000 Units Sold Mark


IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 2, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Following the recently completed best sales quarter in company history, Kia Motors America (KMA) today announced sales of 31,199 vehicles in October, a 38.7-percent increase over the same period last year and an all-time sales record for the month of October. KMA's year-to-date sales are up 14.6 percent over 2009, and the company is well positioned to achieve its 16th consecutive year of market share growth. The October sales record is KMA's third in the past four months – and seventh overall in 2010.
KMA's sales were led for the tenth consecutive month by the 2011 Sorento, whose sales of 10,609 units helped the CUV surpass the 85,000 unit mark. Together, the vehicles resulting from Kia's design-led transformation – the 2010 Soul, Forte and Forte Koup; and the 2011 Sorento and Sportage – accounted for 80.4 percent of the monthly sales volume.
"KMA has achieved new quarterly sales records in each of the first three quarters this year, and the strong start to the fourth quarter is an indicator that our brand's tremendous momentum and growth will continue through the end of the year," said Byung Mo Ahn, group president and CEO of KMA and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG). "Demand for Kia's first U.S.-built(1)vehicle, the Sorento CUV, remains extremely high, while the popularity of the all-new 2011 Sportage has outpaced supply since arriving in dealerships a few months ago, and the upcoming arrivals of the highly anticipated all-new 2011 Optima and sporty 2011 Forte 5-door will further our ongoing brand transformation."

BMW Group U.S. Reports October 2010 Sales









WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J., Nov. 2, 2010 /PRNewswire/ --The BMW Group in the U.S. (BMW and MINI combined) reported October sales of 23,222 vehicles, an increase of 12.6 percent from the 20,619 vehicles sold in October 2009. Year-to-date, the BMW Group also reported a sales volume of 215,274 vehicles, up 7.7 percent from the 199,838 units sold through October 2009.
"The new product effect clearly showed in October with our 5 Series sales momentum increasing, especially with the introduction of all-wheel-drive for regions where it is highly desired," said Jim O'Donnell, President and CEO of BMW of North America, LLC. "Furthermore, we are seeing some positive response from the overall market but with little job growth and only slight increases in consumer spending, our dealers have to fight for every sale, something they did very well this month."
BMW Brand Sales
Sales of BMW brand vehicles in October increased 17.2 percent for a total of 19,272 vehicles from the 16,443 units sold in October of last year. Year-to-date, BMW sales were up 10 percent to 176,736 vehicles from the 160,666 units sold in the same period of 2009.
In October, best performing vehicles included the 1 Series, up 127.3 percent to 1,139 units and the 5 Series, up 61.8 percent to 4,925 units. The X5 continues to perform very well with an increase of 48.9 to 3,183 units.
BMW Pre-Owned Vehicles
Sales of BMW's used vehicles (including certified pre-owned and pre-owned) decreased 7.2 percent to 13,867 vehicles from the 14,938 units sold in October of last year. Year-to-date, used vehicle sales were up 4.9 percent to 140,468 vehicles from the 133,948 units sold in the same period of 2009.
MINI Brand Sales
MINI USA reported sales of 3,950 automobiles, a decrease of 5.4 percent from the 4,176 cars sold last year. Year-to-date, MINI USA also reported sales of 38,538 automobiles, a decrease of 1.6 percent from the 39,172 units sold in the same period of 2009.

American Suzuki October 2010 Sales Up 17 Percent









- Suzuki celebrates first year-over-year sales increase in 27 months

- Kizashi sales up 22 percent over September



BREA, Calif., Nov. 2, 2010 /PRNewswire/ --

ATLANTA November 2, 2010; Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA), importer and distributor of Porsche sports cars, Cayenne SUVs and the Panamera Gran Turismo in the United States, today announced October sales in the U.S. of 2,647 units compared to the same month last year when it sold 1,642 new cars, an increase of 61 percent. This represents Porsche's second-best sales month this year.

October's strong showing pushed Porsche's year-to-date results to 20,337 cars compared to the same period in 2009 when it sold 15,952, up 27.5 percent.

Nearly all models in Porsche's portfolio enjoyed increases during the month of October. Leading the way was the new Cayenne SUV, which saw sales of 1,139 units for the period, its best single-month total this year. The Cayenne's October results demonstrate a strong and positive consumer response to Porsche's next-generation SUV, which first went on sale in June with the Cayenne S and Cayenne Turbo models. In September, Porsche expanded its SUV line-up with the launch of the all-new 2011 V6 Cayenne, and yesterday the company began selling its new Cayenne S Hybrid.

Sales of the automaker's popular Panamera also recorded strong sales results for the month of October with 747 units sold. Year-to-date, Porsche has sold 6,312 Panamera models.

While the overall sports car sector continued to be challenged by the weak confidence in the U.S. economy, Porsche enjoyed some relative success. Porsche's mid-engine Boxster roadster recorded robust sales of 140, an increase of 36 percent for last October, while the German company's iconic 911 sports car recorded sales of 528, on par with the same period in 2009 when sales were 539.

In addition, dealers sold 565 Porsche Approved Certified Pre-Owned cars in October versus 546 for the same period last year.

Mitsubishi Motors Reports Sales up 32 Percent in October


CYPRESS, Calif., Nov. 2, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Mitsubishi Motors North America (MMNA) today announced October sales of 5,111, an increase of more than 32 percent compared to October 2009. It was MMNA's fourth highest monthly total in two years. The 32 percent increase represents Mitsubishi's largest year-over-year percentage increase for a single month since July 2002.

"It appears that our sales and marketing efforts are coming to fruition at just the right time," said MMNA President & CEO Shin Kurihara. "The coming months will see the first significant sales of our new Outlander Sport compact CUV, and interest in that vehicle should drive customers to our dealers and benefit our full product line."

This week, MMNA has rolled out a ground-breaking marketing program for the Outlander Sport, through which consumers can register for an online "Live Drive" by visiting outlandersport.com.

October sales highlights include:

* Lancer sales were up more than 52 percent compared to October 2009.
* Outlander sales were up more than 70 percent and are up 19.8 percent for the year to date.
* Endeavor sales nearly tripled compared to last year (up 288%) for the second month in a row and are up more than 17 percent for the year.
* Galant sales were up 23 percent compared to last October, and are up 6.8 percent year-to-date.
* Lancer Evolution sales were up more than 31 percent for the month.