Now what?
In our monthly Joe Friday “just the facts” section we present the final results for U.S. light vehicle sales for the month of August 2009. With a seasonally adjusted annual selling rate (SAAR) of just over 14 million it was by far the strongest month of the year.
The 40% increase was almost all attributable to taxpayer money under the CARS — Clunkers — program, which handed out up to $4,500 rebates — tax free — to the purchase of a new vehicle with no matching funds required from automakers who stood to gain the most from it.
Small car sales were up. Truck sales were down. Luxury makers languished.
Some makers did add incentives, notably Chrysler which doubled the government match on some vehicles to what appears to be little positive effect.
The big question remains what happens in September? Our dealer friends are reporting that their showroom traffic died after the frenzy caused by Clunkers expired.
The results are in the chart below.
|
U.S. Light Vehicle Sales August 20009 |
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|
Aug 2009 |
Aug 2008 |
% |
2009 CYTD |
2008 CYTD |
% |
|||
| General Motors | 245,550 | 307,285 | -20.1% | 1,381,224 | 2,129,860 | -35.1% | ||
| Total Cars | 118,744 | 124,441 | -4.6% | 604,650 | 919,270 | -34.2% | ||
| Total Light Trucks | 126,806 | 182,844 | -30.6% | 776,574 | 1,210,590 | -35.9% | ||
| memo: Saab | 484 | 1,503 | -67.8% | 6,444 | 15,597 | -58.7% | ||
| Ford Motor Company | 181,826 | 155,117 | 17.2% | 1,119,863 | 1,467,315 | -23.7% | ||
| Total Cars | 69,205 | 55,399 | 24.9% | 434,182 | 545,013 | -20.3% | ||
| Total Light Trucks. | 112,621 | 99,718 | 12.9% | 685,681 | 922,302 | -25.7% | ||
| memo: Volvo | 5,826 | 4,669 | 24.8% | 42,013 | 55,974 | -24.9% | ||
| Chrysler LLC | 93,222 | 110,235 | -15.4% | 653,319 | 1,076,170 | -39.3% | ||
| Total Cars | 22,638 | 25,852 | -12.4% | 151,946 | 301,174 | -49.5% | ||
| Total Light Trucks | 70,584 | 84,383 | -16.4% | 501,373 | 774,996 | -35.3% | ||
| Toyota Motor Sales | 225,088 | 211,533 | 6.4% | 1,170,409 | 1,649,045 | -29.0% | ||
| Total Cars | 155,139 | 129,622 | 19.7% | 739,237 | 1,019,782 | -27.5% | ||
| Total Light. | 69,949 | 81,911 | -14.6% | 431,172 | 629,263 | -31.5% | ||
| American Honda Motor | 161,439 | 146,855 | 9.9% | 806,907 | 1,083,957 | -25.6% | ||
| Total Cars | 106,972 | 86,827 | 23.2% | 503,658 | 674,129 | -25.3% | ||
| Total Light Trucks | 54,467 | 60,028 | -9.3% | 303,249 | 409,828 | -26.0% | ||
| Nissan North America | 105,312 | 108,493 | -2.9% | 524,903 | 726,133 | -27.7% | ||
| Total Cars | 78,166 | 56,476 | 38.4% | 354,557 | 448,164 | -20.9% | ||
| Total Light Trucks | 27,146 | 52,017 | -47.8% | 170,346 | 277,969 | -38.7% | ||
| Volkswagen Group | 33,008 | 28,939 | 14.1% | 195,860 | 219,061 | -10.6% | ||
| Audi | 8,057 | 6,406 | 25.8% | 52,309 | 58,233 | -10.2% | ||
| Volkswagen | 24,823 | 22,292 | 11.4% | 142,421 | 158,258 | -10.0% | ||
| Bentley | 101 | 178 | -43.3% | 863 | 2,001 | -56.9% | ||
| Lamborghini | 27 | 63 | -57.1% | 267 | 569 | -53.1% | ||
| Mitsubishi Motors | 6,813 | 9,200 | -25.9% | 38,127 | 72,727 | -47.6% | ||
| Total Cars | 4,196 | 7,352 | -42.9% | 26,056 | 56,870 | -54.2% | ||
| Total Light Trucks | 2,617 | 1,848 | 41.6% | 12,071 | 15,857 | -23.9% | ||
| Mazda Motor of America | 26,542 | 23,680 | 12.1% | 145,955 | 199,239 | -26.7% | ||
| Total | 18,853 | 15,387 | 22.5% | 100,460 | 134,744 | -25.4% | ||
| Total Light Trucks | 7,689 | 8,293 | -7.3% | 45,495 | 64,495 | -29.5% | ||
| Hyundai Motor America | 60,467 | 41,130 | 47.0% | 310,706 | 312,899 | -0.7% | ||
| Total Cars | 46,284 | 30,827 | 50.1% | 236,935 | 234,488 | 1.0% | ||
| Total Light Trucks. | 14,183 | 10,303 | 37.7% | 73,771 | 78,411 | -5.9% | ||
| BMW of North America | 24,367 | 30,947 | -21.3% | 160,279 | 218,090 | -26.5% | ||
| BMW | 19,232 | 25,462 | -24.5% | 129,176 | 180,889 | -28.6% | ||
| Mini | 5,111 | 5,469 | -6.5% | 30,868 | 36,932 | -16.4% | ||
| Rolls | 24 | 16 | 50.0% | 235 | 269 | -12.6% | ||
| Daimler AG | 18,757 | 20,943 | -10.4% | 130,124 | 175,071 | -25.7% | ||
| Mercedes-Benz | 17,123 | 18,511 | -7.5% | 118,474 | 158,603 | -25.3% | ||
| Maybach | 12 | 12 | 0.0% | 43 | 90 | -52.2% | ||
| Smart | 1,622 | 2,420 | -33.0% | 11,607 | 16,378 | -29.1% | ||
| Subaru of America | 28,683 | 18,932 | 51.5% | 143,828 | 129,298 | 11.2% | ||
| Total Cars | 16,016 | 11,307 | 41.6% | 83,285 | 81,080 | 2.7% | ||
| Total Light Trucks | 12,667 | 7,625 | 66.1% | 60,543 | 48,218 | 25.6% | ||
| Kia Motors America | 40,198 | 25,065 | 60.4% | 216,947 | 210,705 | 3.0% | ||
| Total Cars | 27,922 | 13,781 | 102.6% | 124,733 | 124,811 | -0.1% | ||
| Total Light Trucks | 12,276 | 11,284 | 8.8% | 92,214 | 85,894 | 7.4% | ||
| Isuzu Motors | 0 | 289 | -100.0% | 165 | 3,930 | -95.8% | ||
| American Suzuki Motor | 5,749 | 6,083 | -5.5% | 31,664 | 70,430 | -55.0% | ||
| Total Cars | 134 | 1,988 | -93.3% | 3,750 | 18,368 | -79.6% | ||
| Total Light Trucks | 5,615 | 4,095 | 37.1% | 27,914 | 52,062 | -46.4% | ||
| Jaguar Land Rover N.A. | 3,160 | 3,321 | -4.8% | 23,953 | 31,670 | -24.4% | ||
| Jaguar | 875 | 1,300 | -32.7% | 7,794 | 11,115 | -29.9% | ||
| Land Rover | 2,285 | 2,021 | 13.1% | 16,159 | 20,555 | -21.4% | ||
| Porsche Cars N.A. | 1,526 | 1,404 | 8.7% | 12,729 | 19,618 | -35.1% | ||
| Total Cars | 1,017 | 631 | 61.2% | 7,340 | 11,399 | -35.6% | ||
| Total Light Trucks | 509 | 773 | -34.2% | 5,389 | 8,219 | -34.4% | ||
| Ferrari of N.A. | 143 | 159 | -10.1% | 858 | 1,129 | -24.0% | ||
| Maserati of N.A. | 127 | 183 | -30.6% | 819 | 1,731 | -52.7% | ||
|
Totals |
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| Passenger Cars | 726,934 | 628,947 | 15.6% | 3,765,088 | 5,095,128 | -26.1% | ||
| Light Trucks | 535,043 | 620,846 | -13.8% | 3,303,551 | 4,702,950 | -29.8% | ||
| Total Light Vehicle | 1,261,977 | 1,249,793 | 1.0% | 7,068,639 | 9,798,078 | -27.9% | ||
| Imp. Brand Car Total | 520,302 | 427,275 | 21.8% | 2,605,348 | 3,377,456 | -22.9% | ||
| Imp. Brand Light Trucks | 227,387 | 256,053 | -11.2% | 1,357,342 | 1,818,848 | -25.4% | ||
| Imp. Brand Light Veh | 747,689 | 683,328 | 9.4% | 3,962,690 | 5,196,304 | -23.7% | ||
| Imp. Sourced Car Total | 249,563 | 217,891 | 14.5% | 1,339,310 | 1,761,848 | -24.0% | ||
| Imp. Sourced Truck Total | 116,755 | 105,905 | 10.2% | 678,858 | 851,324 | -20.3% | ||
| Transplant Vehicles | 394,121 | 364,611 | 8.1% | 1,974,474 | 2,627,251 | -24.8% | ||
| GM & Ford Heavy Truc | 1,252 | 2,105 | -40.5% | 12,117 | 24,229 | -50.0% | ||
|
Courtesy AutoData Corporation. Revised September 1, 2009 |
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