2011 Auto Sales Expected to End Strong

The forecast continues to look bright for auto sales leading up to yearend. According to J.D. Power and Associates, new-vehicle retail sales continue to show strength, consistent with November performance. 

The monthly sales forecast developed by J.D. Power and LMC Automotive reveals that December will be the first time retail sales will top one-million units since the Cash for Clunkers program drove strong sales in August 2009. New-vehicle retail sales are projected to total 1,033,700 units, representing a SAAR of 11.2 million units.

Additionally, total light-vehicle sales in December are expected to total 1,230,100 units, up 8% from Dec. 2010. Fleet sales are expected to increase by 1% compared with the same time last year and are forecasted to account for 16% of total sales, a decrease of about 17% from last year.

With December sales tracking as expected, LMC Automotive is holding its 2011 forecast at 10.3 million units for retail light-vehicle sales and 12.7 million units for total light-vehicle sales. LMC Automotive’s forecast for 2012 remains at 13.8 million units for total light-vehicle sales, but has been adjusted slightly upward to 11.3 million units (from 11.2 million units) for retail light-vehicle sales.

Source: J.D. Power and Associates