August Sales – Some Manufacturers Saw A Rise Others Saw A Loss

General Motors:

August sales for Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac decreased by a combined 11 percent to 184,921 units, compared to last August, a month in which the automotive industry experienced the highest level of sales in 2009 due to the Cash for Clunkers stimulus program. Compared to July 2010, sales for GM’s brands were down 7 percent.

• Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac sales declined 11 percent from 2009 Cash-for-Clunkers level.
• Combined Buick, GMC, and Cadillac sales counter trend,  increased 37 percent.
• Calendar-year-to-date sales for GM’s four brands are up 23 percent.
• Buick remains the fastest-growing major auto brand in the U.S.
• Cadillac is the fastest-growing luxury brand in the U.S.

Chrysler:

• Chrysler Group LLC reports August 2010 U.S. sales increased 7 percent.
• August marks the fifth consecutive month of year-over-year sales increases.
• Fourteen Chrysler Group vehicle lines improve year-over-year sales.
• Jeep®, Dodge, and Ram brands post year-over-year sales increases.
• All-new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee sales ramp-up continues as dealers begin achieving adequate inventory levels.
• Chrysler Group sold its 13 millionth minivan worldwide in August.
• Chrysler Canada continues sales momentum with its ninth consecutive month of growth. Total August sales up 12 percent over 2009; four percent over pre-downturn 2008.
• August retail sales surge 20 percent.

Toyota:

• Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., reported August sales of 148,388 units.  In comparison to last August when Toyota sales were at their peak under Cash for Clunkers, sales were down 31.4 percent on a daily selling rate (DSR) basis.  On a raw volume basis, unadjusted for 25 selling days in August 2010, compared to 26 selling days in August 2009, TMS sales were down 34 percent compared to the same period last year.

Nissan North America:

• Nissan North America, Inc. reported August U.S. sales of 76,827 units versus 105,312 units a year earlier, a decrease of 27 percent compared with the Cash for Clunkers fueled sales in August 2009. Nissan Division sales were down 30.9 percent for the month, while sales of Infiniti vehicles rose 21.9 over a year before. For all of 2010, NNA sales are up 14.2 percent.

Audi

• Audi maintained its 2010 momentum with record August U.S. sales, which surpassed the prior August record set in 2003 by more than 900 vehicles. August 2010 sales of Audi cars and SUVs climbed 14 percent compared to August 2009, and marked the best monthly sales performance since May of this year. The August results keep the German luxury automaker on track to set a vehicle sales record in the U.S. by year-end. The existing annual sales record for Audi in the U.S. is 93,506 vehicles sold in 2007. Overall, Audi sold 9,182 luxury cars and SUVs in August 2010, topping the previous August record of 8,057 vehicles sold in August 2009. Additionally, the automaker posted steady quarter-to-quarter sales increases of more than 5 percent and nearly 15 percent over June 2010 and July 2010, respectively.