September Sales End on a High Note
Although all the numbers aren’t yet reported, here is a feel for September U.S auto sales. Despite a dismal economy, the auto industry seems to be looking at an upbeat recovery, with numbers reaching the highest they have been since April.
Some of the biggest accomplishments this month, compared with sales in September 2010 include:
- Chrysler sales rose 27% to 127,334 from 100,077
- Nissan sales rose 25% to 92,964 from 74,205
- GM sales rose 20% to 207,145 from 173,031
- Ford sales rose 9% to 174,860 from 160,375
Some disappointments this month, relative to September 2010:
- Toyota sales were down 17.5% to 121,451 from 147,162
- Honda sales were down 8% to 89,532 from 97,361
Something to take note of, however, is that September marked the first month that production was back to 100% for Toyota and Honda following the devastating earthquake that hit Japan in March.
J.D. Power forecasts the SAAR for September retail sales to be 10.3 million units, up from 9.6 million units in August.
Going forward, will Toyota and Honda be able to make a swift comeback with inventory levels back up to par and an incentive battle around the corner?
Here’s a bar graph tracking year-over-year vehicle sales for September (per data from Automotive News):
