US Car Sales for December Show Improvement

 

US Vehicles Sales Chart 1976-2011

Vehicles sales for the Big Three auto makers, Ford, GM and Chrysler, came in a little better than expected. The big US winner was Chrysler with a 16% increase in vehicles sales, year over year. GM scored a 7.5% increase, with Ford coming in closely behind with a 6.7% improvement over 2009.

Ford was the best-selling make in the U.S. in 2010, displacing Toyota, which fell to third behind GM’s Chevrolet. Ford sold 1.76 million Ford-brand vehicles last year, while GM sold 1.57 million Chevrolets and Toyota sold 1.49 million Toyota cars and trucks.

According to car industry expert David Cole of the Center for Automotive Research, US car makers are setting themselves up for consistent but slow growth. After the bottoming out of the North American economy in 2008 and 2009 , manufacturers were forced to keep their operations lean, by cutting back on some shifts and avoiding big inventory buildups. With a stable economy and renewed consumer confidence, car makers are learning to wean themselves off of big incentive programs. The odds of another big “Cash for Clunkers” program in the near future seems very unlikely.

So, there may not be anytime like the present to start looking around for that “reliable beater” or that dream ride. Car makers are now ready to focus on innovative styles and technology, in order to draw consumers into their showrooms.

(Source: Bloomberg News, Center for Automotive Research)