Gojirra99

Total Chrysler LLC December 2007 Sales Up 1 Percent on the Strength of Retail; Demand for Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan Continues to Grow


AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Jan. 3 /PRNewswire/ --

-- For 2008, Chrysler to offer six vehicles with 28 miles per gallon or
better highway fuel economy
-- 2007 Jeep(R) Wrangler sales surpass 100,000 units with an all-time
sales record of 119,243 units
-- Chrysler brand truck sales rise 7 percent in December over 2006 based
on the success of Chrysler Town & Country minivan, up 31 percent
-- Dodge brand sales rise 11 percent for the month, led by Dodge Grand
Caravan up 51 percent, Dodge Sprinter up 26 percent and Dodge Charger
up 5 percent
-- Jeep brand sales down 3 percent for December year-over-year based on
planned fleet reductions
-- Dealer inventory down 19 percent or 100,048 units versus December 2006
Built on the strength of retail, Chrysler LLC's total U.S. sales for
December 2007 were 191,423 units; an increase of 1 percent compared with
December 2006 sales of 190,415 units. Fleet sales for the month were down,
as compared with December 2006. For 2007, total Chrysler LLC sales were
2,076,650, a decrease of 3 percent from the 2,142,505 units sold in 2006.
All sales figures are reported as unadjusted.

"On behalf of our leadership team, I would like to extend my thanks and
appreciation to the entire Chrysler network for a strong finish to 2007 and
a solid December," Bob Nardelli, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,
said. "Today is a great demonstration of what can be done when all of our
employees, dealers and suppliers come together, demonstrating that the
organization and its partners are fully aligned and focused on meeting the
needs of our customers and being competitive in the industry."

"December proves that when you offer customers products with great
value, they respond favorably," Jim Press, Vice Chairman and President,
said. "In 2007, we launched eight all-new vehicles including the Jeep(R)
Grand Cherokee diesel, Chrysler Sebring Convertible and the all-new Swivel
'n Go(TM) minivans. And we are continuing to invest in new product,
including new fuel- efficient powertrains. For 2008, we'll offer six
vehicles with 28 miles per gallon or better highway fuel economy. This
combined with the best-in-industry Lifetime Powertrain Warranty in our
Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge vehicles is bringing more customers to our
showrooms."

Chrysler brand truck sales rose 7 percent for the month led by the
all-new Chrysler Town & Country which posted a gain of 31 percent
year-over-year. Chrysler Town & Country sales for the month were 14,211
units compared with 10,877 units in December 2006.

Dodge brand sales were up 11 percent for December led primarily by
Dodge Grand Caravan sales of 21,326 units, up 51 percent. Previous year
December sales were 14,095 units.

"With the new Dodge lineup and products like Avenger and Charger, we
are finding the brand is attracting new buyers today," Deborah Meyer, Chief
Marketing Officer, said. "Twenty-seven percent of Dodge buyers are under 35
years of age; and 64 percent are less than 45 years of age and female."

The Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan held Chrysler's
leadership in the minivan segment. Both vehicles offer the exclusive Stow
'n Go(R) seating and storage system -- another minivan innovation.

Overall Jeep brand sales declined 3 percent based on planned fleet
reductions. Jeep Wrangler sales were up 4 percent for the month with 9,007
units versus 8,623 units for December 2006. With 119,243 units sold in
2007, Jeep Wrangler sales surpassed 100,000 units with an all-time sales
record, versus 80,271 sold in 2006, up 49 percent.

"We're thankful to our customers for the response they've shown to our
products," Steven Landry, Executive Vice President -- North American Sales,
said. "Jeep Wrangler is one example with an all-time sales record for the
year that surpasses 100,000 units. With new models, bold designs and fuel
efficient alternatives, we're excited about the products like the Dodge
Journey, Challenger and Ram, and the launch of two new SUV hybrids -- the
Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango -- and believe we're well positioned for
2008."

Chrysler finished the month with 438,390 units of inventory, or a
60-day supply. Inventory is down by 19 percent compared with December 2006
when it was at 538,438 units.

SOURCE Chrysler LLC

Gojirra99

Click : http://media.ford.com/article_displa...ticle_id=27379
.

Gojirra99

Click : http://media.gm.com/servlet/GatewayS...=2&docid=42261
.

LexFather

2007 Year End Mid-Size Luxo sales
BMW 5 series- 54,142 -4.6%
Mercedes Benz E-class- 48,950 -2.5%
Lexus GS- 23,381 -15% (estimate, I had to combine figures)
Infiniti M- 21,884 -15%
Cadillac STS- 20,873 -18.7%
Volvo S80-12,354 +125%
Audi A6- 12,001 -26%
Acura RL-6,262 -45.7%
Jaguar S-type- 3,524 -40%

I need a new girlfriend, lol....Some thoughts.
The Germans sell twice as much as the 3rd/4th place Asians. What is incredible is the midsize E/5 sell in the G35/IS range.

If you look at some non luxury cars they sell over, its amazing really.

GS comes back to beat Infiniti M. Refresh seems to have helped Lexus more than Infiniti.

Volvo actually BEAT Audi!! Audi should be ashamed.

Its is clear that no one wants the Acura RL or Jag S-type, with sales PLUMMETING over 40%. Everyone else dropped but not that bad.

LexFather

2007 Entry Level Luxo Sales
BMW 3 (all) 142,490 +18.6%
Lexus ES 350- 82,867 +8.7%
Mercedes Benz C-class- 63,701 +26.9%
Cadillac CTS- 57,029 +4%
Acura TL- 58,545 -18.2%
Lexus IS- 54,933 + 0.9%
Infiniti G35- 54,015 +33%
Audi A4- 37,894 -11.2%
Lincoln MKZ- 34,363 +3.8%
Jaguar X-type- 3,198 -38.7%

Not sure of 3 sedan only sales but the 3 overall sells more than these entire brands:
Audi
Infiniti
Lincoln
Volvo
Jaguar

Lexus ES had best year sales ever for that line. IS flat, barely edges out G35 sedan. G35 and C-class got great lifts for their new cars. TL down but still strong. Huge decline in sales after the G35(Audi, Lincoln) and the X-type is laugh.

I can't believe 3 sales, wow....

LexFather

Premium Luxury Sales 2007

Lexus LS- 35,226 +79.6%
Mercedes Benz S-class- 26,081 -15.6%
BMW 7 series- 14,773 -17%
Jaguar XJ- 4,474 -11%
Audi A8- 3,828 -24.1%

FYI, Caddy DTS sold 51,469 at -11.6% but it would not be considered in this class.

Amazing the LS sells twice as much as the 7. The S-class is holding well. Sadly the Jag and Audi are afterthoughts in this segment.

This list is easy to compile as there are only a handful of players

XeroK00L

Hmm a very unusually silent monthly sales thread. I wonder what's going on... Does no one else have anything to say about the year-end result?

GS69

GM, Ford, Toyota Dec Sales Fall; Honda Rises

Jan. 3 (Bloomberg) -- General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp. said U.S. auto sales fell in December, capping the worst year in a decade, and predicted that 2008 probably won't be any better.

GM's sales of cars and light trucks dropped 4.4 percent from a year earlier. Ford's total tumbled 9.2 percent, while Toyota's fell 1.7 percent. Toyota moved up to second in annual sales, pushing Ford from the spot it had held since 1931.

Consumers are curtailing spending after being hammered by $3-a-gallon gasoline prices. Housing starts, a barometer for sales of profitable trucks, are in the deepest slump in 16 years.

``It's going to be a brutal year for autos; we're headed into a recession,'' said Pete Hastings, a fixed-income analyst at Morgan Keegan & Co. in Memphis, Tennessee.

Ford said it expects a ``challenging'' U.S. economy in 2008 and Toyota cut its annual sales-growth forecast, after Americans bought 16.1 million cars and light trucks last year, the least since 1998. GM Chief Executive Officer Rick Wagoner said the U.S. economy may be a ``risk'' to auto sales this year. Ford forecast that industrywide first-half sales will be at an annual rate of 15.2 million to 15.7 million.

Industrywide U.S. sales fell 2.9 percent in December to 1.39 million, and the annual total was down 2.5 percent from 2006, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Among other automakers, Nissan Motor Co. reported a 2.4 percent sales decline for last month, while Chrysler LLC's rose 0.5 percent and Honda Motor Co. had a gain of just 14 vehicles.

Market Share

For December, Asian automakers' share of the U.S. market rose to 41.3 percent from 40.4 percent a year earlier, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. U.S. companies fell to 50.7 percent from 51.5 percent, and European automakers accounted for 8 percent, a drop from 8.1 percent.

GM, the world's largest automaker, said it sold 319,837 cars and light trucks in December, down from 334,501 a year earlier. The Detroit-based automaker said in a statement that its full- year total declined 6 percent to 3.82 million vehicles.

Ford's December sales fell to 212,094 vehicles from 233,621, included reductions of 8.4 percent for cars and 9.5 percent for trucks, the Dearborn, Michigan-based company said in a statement.

For all of 2007, Ford sales slid 12 percent to 2.57 million including heavy-duty trucks, with declines each month except November. Toyota for the year gained 3.1 percent to 2.62 million.

Sales of F-Series large pickups, the best-selling U.S. vehicles, slid 22 percent last month and 13 percent for the year.

Top-Selling SUV

Sales of its Explorer sport-utility vehicles dropped 19 percent in December to 10,887 and 23 percent for the year to 137,817. Ford sold more than 400,000 Explorers in 2002. Last year, Honda sold 219,160 CR-Vs, which passed Explorer as the top- selling SUV.

Ford hadn't finished third or lower in U.S. annual vehicle sales since 1905, according to information compiled by the trade publication Automotive News. The automaker was founded in 1903.

Chrysler said in a statement that its December sales rose to 191,423 cars and light trucks from 190,415. The Auburn Hills, Michigan-based automaker reported a 3.1 percent drop for the year, to 2.08 million vehicles.

Toyota said it sold 224,399 vehicles last month. The decline was mostly from the company's top-selling cars, including the Yaris and Corolla small models and midsize Camry sedan, the Toyota City, Japan-based company said in a statement.

The Toyota Camry was the best-selling car model in the U.S. for the sixth straight year. The company's Prius, the top-selling gasoline-electric hybrid, outsold Ford's Focus to rank eighth in annual volume among cars.

Lower Forecast

Toyota trimmed the forecast for its 2008 U.S. sales growth to a range of 1 percent to 2 percent, from an estimate of about 3 percent made last month by U.S. sales chief Jim Lentz. Irv Miller, Toyota's U.S. vice president for communications, said in a conference call that the company expects a weaker market than it did before the earlier target.

Honda, the second-largest Japanese automaker, sold 131,792 vehicles last month, the company's U.S. unit in Torrance, California, said in an e-mailed statement. Gains were led by the Fit hatchback, Accord sedan, Civic small car and the CR-V. Honda's annual sales rose 2.8 percent to a record 1.55 million.

Nissan, Japan's third-biggest automaker, sold 89,555 vehicles in December, Mark McNabb, the company's North American sales chief, said in a phone interview today. The decline came from ``trucks that were pretty much down across the board,'' he said. The Tokyo-based automaker's full-year sales rose 4.8 percent to 1.07 million.

Hyundai

December sales for Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's largest automaker, rose 24 percent to 46,487 vehicles from 37,365 a year earlier. The increase was the largest for any major brand and was led a more than doubling of sales of the Sonata sedan to 24,872. The Seoul-based company annual sales rose 2.5 percent to 467,009.

The industrywide monthly decline in December was the ninth of 2007. The annual total for cars and light trucks was the lowest since 15.6 million were sold in 1998. The industry set a record in 2000 with 17.4 million sales.

GM fell 49 cents to $23.92 at 4:22 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading, while Ford slid 15 cents to $6.45. Toyota's American depositary receipts rose 44 cents to $106.90.

``It's certainly going to wrap up to be a fairly dismal year as far as vehicle sales have moved along,'' Michael Robinet, an analyst at CSM Worldwide in Northville, Michigan, said in an interview on Bloomberg radio. He also said he expects Toyota will pass GM as the world's largest automaker, after the U.S. company regained the lead in last year's third quarter.

The average price of a gallon of gasoline rose 31 percent for the year to $3.04 on Dec. 31, according to the American Automobile Association. The Reuters/University of Michigan final index of consumer sentiment for December declined to 75.5, the lowest since October 2005.

RON430

Hard to do cheerleading when the numbers are pretty dismal across the board. The few increases don't really point much out other than the models that were recently refreshed. With the economy slowing you have to wonder what the coming quarter will be like. The price of gas is also probably going to finally start shifting things. You want a car that gets 20mpg, no problem. You want one that averages 30mpg, you are going to be making some tradeoffs.

XeroK00L

Although I did cheerlead myself, I was fully expecting people to discuss about the declining overall sales. My take is simply that nothing grows forever. Any growing market at some point will eventually peak and see corrections. The US car market is a mature one and I suspect that we'll see more fluctuations than growth from now on IMO.

RON430

I know this thread concentrates on US sales numbers and that comments should rightly be confined to conclusions from that data but you just can't help but see economic slowing rearing its head. At first there was this bizarre notion that if the US went into recession that the Chinese, Indian, and European economies would take up the slack. Now it is getting clear that this will not be the case. If you are worried about your job, it is hard to justify that shiny new car. And the choices in higher efficiency cars is just not that great right now IMO. So while the US market is mature I don't think that is the main reason for the slowing or something that other markets aren't seeing.

I haven't gone back and looked but I wonder how many E class sales are the E320 as that is simply the highest mileage, largest, luxury sedan available in the US. If it sounds like I might be shopping for one, you would be right. But there are so many things I don't like about the car I could also just end up waiting. In the large luxury sedans, it isn't too difficult to get a very good deal on an LS in my shopping. Much better/easier than an S, 7, or A8, and that is obviously showing up in the sales numbers. I also have a feeling that there are a lot of 535s going out the door, really a dandy car that makes it difficult to justify a 550.

carguy101

Lexus beat out BMW again for the best selling luxury make in the US.

But I think 2008 will be a tough year for Lexus. Every model will see a decrease in sales, except the LX, which is low volume model anyway. I predict a 5% sales decrease for Lexus in 2008.

I also predict that in 2008, BMW brand will supplant the Lexus brand as the best selling luxury make in the US.

doug_999

Its disappointing that BMW has stopped breaking out sales numbers. However, there maybe a madness to the reason and that could be the 535 sales vs. the 550 sales. But honestly I doubt that as for the first couple of months of 535 sales, the 550 did ok (about 500 or so per month). Still I'm curious why they would stop breaking them out - unless there was a marketing reason for it.

LexFather

I agree I think 2008 will be a challenge for Lexus. I say maybe a 5% decline also, which would put it around 300k units. If BMW raises up 5%, Lexus will barely beat them out.

LexFather

From VWVortex....

2007 Year End Luxo SUV sales

Lexus RX 103,340 -4.9
GMC Acadia (luxury ?) 72,765
Acura MDX 58,606 7.9
Lincoln MKX 37,953 4318.3!
Cadillac Escalade 36,654 -6.1
BMW X5 35,202 31.4%
M-B M-Class 33,879 7.1%
Volvo XC90 31,358 -5.7%
Buick Enclave 29,286 NA
BMW X3 28,058 -10.3%
M-B GL 26,396 40.6%
Lincoln Navigator 24,050 0.4
Acura RDX 23,356 154
Lexus GX 23,035 -9.8
Cadillac SRX 22,543 2.3
Infiniti FX 20,724 -8.8
Audi Q7 20,695 106.9%
Range Rover Sport 16,989 -9.4
Range Rover 12,316 2.3
LR3 11,039 -34.8
LR2 9,205 NA
Lexus LX470 2,468 -56
M-B G-Class 1,152 96.3%