Ford, GM, Chrysler sales down in March; Toyota, Mazda, Honda post big gains

Ford, GM, Chrysler sales down in March; Toyota, Mazda, Honda post big gains

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Domestic auto makers continued their 2007 trend, posting lower sales figures today for March compared to the same period last year. March was the best sales month in 2006 for the industry.

General Motors Corp. said its voluntary reduction in sales to rental-car fleets helped account for its 4.2 percent March decline over last year. The automaker sold 349,867 vehicles in March, compared to 365,375 a year ago.

Ford, which also is withdrawing from the rental-car market, said overall U.S. sales were down 9 percent to 264,975 vehicles, compared to 291,146 a year ago.

The automaker's gains in the mid-size arena -- sales of its Fusion sedan were up more than 47 percent; Milan sales grew by 45 percent -- couldn't offset declines in the SUV and truck categories compared with March 2006.

Both companies said their new crossovers did well in March. Ford sold 10,915 of its Edge model and 3,054 of the Lincoln MKX. GM said its GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook contributed to its 235 percent crossover sales gain.

DaimlerChrysler AG today said March sales were down 4 percent over the same month last year despite a record number of vehicles sold by its Mercedes-Benz USA unit.

Chrysler Group sold 206,435 vehicles in March, down 5 percent from 216,412 in 2006. Mercedes sales were 21,612, up 1 percent from 21,417.

However, the auto maker said, sales of its mid-size Dodge Nitro SUV and Jeep Wrangler recorded their best months ever at 7,532 and 13,397 units respectively.

Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. said it sold a record 242, 675 vehicles in March, up 11.7 percent over 217,286 a year ago. The company reported a 133 percent increase in sales of its Prius hybrid sedan.

Meanwhile, Mazda North American Operations announced a 47.9 March sales increase in the United States, compared to 2006. Models recording double-digit gains include the Mazda3, RX-8, Tribute and B-Series truck.

The month was the best ever for Mazda in the U. S., breaking a 1994 sales record, the company said.

American Honda Motor Co. said it recorded its third-best month in history, selling 143,392 vehicles -- an 11.3 percent jump from 128,806 units last year.

Percentages are based on actual units sold; because there was one more selling day in March this year than in 2006, some auto makers also are reporting "adjusted" comparative numbers to smooth out the effect of the extra sales day.

Other car companies reporting U.S. sales today include:

Mitsubishi, which sold 12,536 units in March, up more than 22 percent from

10,250 in 2006.

Audi, which posted a 14.7 percent increase for March, selling 8,020 vehicles compared to 6,994 a year ago.

Volvo, down 4.4 percent with 10,666 units compared to 11,153 last year.

-- "I have tried to live my life so that my family would love me and my friends respect me. The others can do whatever the hell they please." John Wayne

Reply to
Jim Higgins
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Perhaps the headline should have said "GM and Ford continue to outsell Toyota in the US"

Basically what that says is GM sold around 360 thousand vehicles, Ford 265 thousand and Toyota only 243 thousand even after their new Tundra hit the market. LOL

mike

Reply to
Mike Hunter

Do GM and Ford continue to make more profit than Toyota in the US?

Reply to
MaceFace

Or is GM and Ford's market share "still" declining as the Final Judge of Success, the American Consumer, decides who fails to meet the grade.

Reply to
Jim Higgins

No, but then they do not have the advantages that Toyotas has of using mostly lower cost imported materials and parts. Plus Toyotas employees to not get the wages and benefits that GM and Ford gives to their employees. Toyota workers do not even have a pension plan. ;)

mike

Reply to
Mike Hunter

That's true but apparently todays consumers are still choosing GM and Ford, over Toyota. ;)

mike

Reply to
Mike Hunter

You've said this over and over again. Yet, Toyota builds about 1/2 the cars it makes in the US, mostly of US-sourced parts. Overall, about 1/2 the parts in Toyota's sold in the US come from the US and Canada.

True, Ford and GM use more American parts (about 3/4 for GM and Ford, vs.

1/2 for Toyota). But I do have the option of buying an American-built car (I can tell the country it is built in from the VIN, and proportion of NA parts from the content sticker). (I can also tell if the first digit is a 1, 4 or 5, but all these mean is assembled in America from parts that were made someplace on planet earth.)

I don't see why I should I pay for Ford's and GM's pensions or their worker's health care. Toyota workers get a fair wage.

I guess this tells me that Toyota is smarter than Ford and GM, not to get trapped by stupid wage and benefits contracts.

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff

It may seem to be a fair wage to some but without the benefits and the pension plan offered by domestics, Toyota workers get screwed in comparison, when one compares prices.

You are free to believe whatever you chose, but the workers in the Honda plant in Ohio disagree with your personal opinion, they are attempting to join the UAW. ;)

mike

Reply to
Mike Hunter

Since Bush took office, the dollar has fallen about 30% - maybe it's more, I haven't checked for a while - against the Euro and a number of other currencies.

This makes American-made vehicles far less expensive overseas than they once were. It's like the Mother Of All Price Cuts, without the actual price cut.

In June, 2001, a $20K Chevy would cost 23,500 Euros. Today, a $20K Chevy would cost 15,000 Euros.

Do you suppose BMWs have cut their prices by over a third since 2001? Mercedes? Fiat? Volkswagen?

So, why aren't we shipping Fords, Chryslers and GMs to Europe by the tens of thousands? Why do we have vehicles languishing on dealer lots for a hundred or so days instead of getting shipped to where these cars - which are just as good as the imports, you have assured us, time and time again - will sell for thousands less than the "comparable" Euro-cars? Why aren't Spaniards, Norwegians and Czechs snapping these things up like they're going out of style?

Reply to
DH

In comparison to what? The other jobs out there. They are free to take them, if they want to be paid less.

Can you provide some citations for this?

The workers are in Ohio are free to join the UAW. Apparently, less than 1/2 wanted to join the UAW, for the plant would be unionized.

The fact is that Honda and Toyota, as well as Ford, DC and GM will pay their workers as little as they can. And the workers will take as much pay as they can get.

Again, you're so funny. You say, "you are free to believe whatever you chose...." I believe I know what you are full of.

At least you are funny, too.

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff

Actually, today's consumers are choosing GM, Ford, Honda, Toyota, Mazda and a host of other makes.

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff

You are confused, again. GM and Ford have separate companies that build cars in Europe. If they did send American vehicles to Europe they would effect the cars made there, would be one reason.

The prices of European cars ARE going up in the US, where domestic easy outsell any European cars. American and European manufacturers do not have the no US federal corporate income tax advantage in the US, that Japanese companies enjoy. .

mike

Reply to
Mike Hunter

How would this be? Can't they build different cars on the assembly line?

Jeep sells their vehicles in the UK, although I don't know where they are made, I believe they are made in the US and probably Canada.

Ford sells the mid-size Rangers in the UK from Thailand, where they plan on shipping to seventy countries

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. (In England the Ranger is midsize for trucks, apparently.) If Ford can build cars for 70 countries in Thailand, they can build for the European market in the US.

There are other reasons not to make cars for Europe in the US, like Europeans would rather their vehicles be made close to home, it is cheaper to assembly vehicles close to where you are going to sell them, and there is not that much overlap in the vehicles that are sold in Europe and the US (there are only three or four Fords that are sold both in the US and Europe), and where there is overlap, there are often differences in engines (the Ranger in Europe includes a turbo-diesel option) and safety equipment, as well as options.

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff

You are free to believe whatever you chose. ;)

mike

Reply to
Mike Hunter

Excellent comeback. They can build Jeeps for Europe in the US, but Ford can't build vehicles in the US for Europe?

You're like my colon, Mike: Full of ....

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff

On Apr 5, 10:24 am, "Jeff" wrote:

Actually Ford used to ship Explorers to Europe. They have stopped now since they also own Land Rover - no need to compete with yourself it a realtively limited market. Ford's original entry into Europe was shipping over US built cars. For the most part, Ford divisons in Eurpoe were originally set up to import Model Ts and eventually got into manufacturing vehicles more suitable for the changing European markets. Early on Europen countries imposed stiff gasoline taxes making high fuel efficieny a priority for Europe. They also imposed stiff tariffs on improted cars. It made sense for Ford to build European specific cars early on. Even today Europeans have different priorities for their cars. Cost competition is not nearly as intense in Europe as in the US. Gasoline is much more expensive in Europe than in the US. On the other hand diesel fuel is realtively cheap in Europe (comapred to their gasoline), so diesel cars are in high demand. European are also more chauvanistic than Americans. I am not saying some Brits won't buy US cars, but the average Brit or Geman is more likely to be predisposed towards a English or German car than a US buyer is towards a US car. European also don't drive as many miles per year as in the US. Europeans tend to have more and better mass transit options than we do in the US. Europeans, at least Western Europeans, don't keep cars for nearly as long as we do in the US. Europeans aren't obsessed wih changing oil like we are in the US. Since Ford (and GM) already have large manufacturing operations in Europe, why would they go to the expense of modifying US designs to sell in Europe? Why would they pay large transportation costs to haul cars to Europe, when they can manufacture them in Europe for close to the same cost and avoid the transportation costs?

On the otherhand Ford did have plans to try and introduce the Lincoln brand in Europe (with the Lincoln LS as the first significant entry). However after buying Volvo, Ford decided that this would be another case of Ford competing with Ford. Between Ford, Volvo, and Jaguar, they pretty much have the whole price range covered in Europe.

Interestingly, GM has been trying to establish Chevrolet as a global brand, although the Chevrolets they sell in the UK are not your Mother's Chevrolet (see

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). GMalso sells Corvettes and Cadillacs in Europe (US manufactured). Other US cars sites in Europe:

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Ed

Reply to
Ed White

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