August 2013: Sizzling Summer Edition

Filed under: Car Buying, By the Numbers

Honda, Toyota And Nissan Make Big Gains, Domestics Not Far Off

By the Numbers cutout art

The summer sales season came to a close last month with all of the major auto companies we follow posting double-digit sales increases in August. Smaller companies with multiple brands like Jaguar-Land Rover, which was up a relatively impressive 40 percent, are at the top of the list, but companies that sell in much larger volumes were right behind.

Japanese automakers led the way with Honda/Acura climbing 26.7 percent, Toyota/Lexus up 22.8 percent and Nissan/Infiniti increasing 22.3 percent. US domestic automakers, however, had an August to celebrate as well, with General Motors gaining 14.7 percent, Ford and Lincoln up 12.2 percent and all of Chrysler (including Fiat) up 11.5 percent.

August was a month of records, as well, with Subaru, a perennial hot-selling brand on our table, beating its old all-time sales record in the US with 41,061 units sold last month – an increase of 45.1 percent versus last year. Hyundai, up 8.2 percent, set an all-time sales record for August, as did Honda and Kia. Maserati had its best month ever in the US, and Mazda had its best August in 10 years. Even Toyota reported achieving its best month of sales in more than five years.

Check all of last month’s sales figures in the chart below.

*Brands and companies are displayed in descending order according to their percentage change in volume sales. There were 28 selling days in August 2013 and 27 selling days in August 2012, so there is a difference between the change in monthly sales volume and the change in average daily sales rate (DSR) for each brand/company. Also, brands are combined and reported as companies only if their sales figures are released jointly.

August 2013: Sizzling Summer Edition originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Sep 2013 15:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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August 2013: Sizzling Summer Edition

Filed under: Car Buying, By the Numbers

Honda, Toyota And Nissan Make Big Gains, Domestics Not Far Off

By the Numbers cutout art

The summer sales season came to a close last month with all of the major auto companies we follow posting double-digit sales increases in August. Smaller companies with multiple brands like Jaguar-Land Rover, which was up a relatively impressive 40 percent, are at the top of the list, but companies that sell in much larger volumes were right behind.

Japanese automakers led the way with Honda/Acura climbing 26.7 percent, Toyota/Lexus up 22.8 percent and Nissan/Infiniti increasing 22.3 percent. US domestic automakers, however, had an August to celebrate as well, with General Motors gaining 14.7 percent, Ford and Lincoln up 12.2 percent and all of Chrysler (including Fiat) up 11.5 percent.

August was a month of records, as well, with Subaru, a perennial hot-selling brand on our table, beating its old all-time sales record in the US with 41,061 units sold last month – an increase of 45.1 percent versus last year. Hyundai, up 8.2 percent, set an all-time sales record for August, as did Honda and Kia. Maserati had its best month ever in the US, and Mazda had its best August in 10 years. Even Toyota reported achieving its best month of sales in more than five years.

Check all of last month’s sales figures in the chart below.

*Brands and companies are displayed in descending order according to their percentage change in volume sales. There were 28 selling days in August 2013 and 27 selling days in August 2012, so there is a difference between the change in monthly sales volume and the change in average daily sales rate (DSR) for each brand/company. Also, brands are combined and reported as companies only if their sales figures are released jointly.

August 2013: Sizzling Summer Edition originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Sep 2013 15:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Strong US auto sales in August on pace to top 15.5M in 2013

Filed under: Car Buying

ford dealership lot

August sales will be announced next week, but early numbers say that it has been an exceptionally good month for new-car sales so far with two days left to go – including the kickoff to Labor Day weekend. Automotive News is reporting that forecasters are expecting this month to be the strongest single month since 2006 with retail sales projected to be around 1.27 million units.

Factoring this into the known 9.13 million sales through July, many experts are saying that annual sales in 2013 could be in the mid-15-million unit range including one estimate pushing this year’s totals past 16 million units – a mark the US industry hasn’t seen since 2007. The article states that sales could be even higher if automakers like Hyundai, Ford and Subaru were able to keep supply up with the demand of some of their popular models. Stay tuned as we’ll know for sure when we put together our usual By The Numbers post next week.

Strong US auto sales in August on pace to top 15.5M in 2013 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Aug 2013 17:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hybrid sales plummet 40% in August; Prius records 37.5% decline

Filed under: Car Buying, Hybrid, Toyota

2010 Toyot Aprius

2010 Toyota Prius – Click above for high-res image gallery

One month of dreary sales figures doesn’t signal the end of the hybrid, but the numbers reported for August hint that without a rise in gas prices, hybrid vehicle sales will likely continue to suffer. Overall hybrid sales dropped 40.4 percent in August compared to a year ago. Not even the mighty Toyota Prius could avoid the plunge. Prius sales fell 37.5 percent compared to August 2009 and dropped off 16.3 percent compared to the July 2010 numbers. Combined, Toyota and Lexus hybrids saw a 36.2 percent decline from a year ago. Ford fared better by posting a 17.1 percent drop in year-over-year numbers.

Hybrid sales were clearly boosted last August by the government’s Cash for Clunkers program, but this summer’s low gas prices take much of the blame for the current hybrid sales plunge. Toyota remains in the number one spot, posting 15,444 sales last month. Ford sits in second place after moving 3,894 hybrid vehicles off dealer lots, while Honda holds onto third with 3,485 sales. It’s getting redundant, but Toyota still leads the hybrid market. Anyone want to place bets on when (or if) that’ll change?

Gallery: 2010 Toyota Prius

[Sources: Green Car Advisor, Autoblog]

Hybrid sales plummet 40% in August; Prius records 37.5% decline originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 04 Sep 2010 09:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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By The Numbers – August 2010: The C4C hangover continues

Filed under: By the Numbers

Luxury marques gain ground while volume brands suffer

Just like any spending spree, there are consequences. And for the second straight month, the automakers that benefited most from Cash For Clunkers have seen their sales figures fall through the floor compared to August of last year. The program officially ended August 24, 2009, and if you take a look at the chart below, the brands with inexpensive, fuel efficient rides suffered the most last month.

On the upside, luxury marques like Cadillac, Jaguar, Porsche, Infiniti and Acura were going gangbusters compared to August of 2009, which could be further proof that America’s high-rollers are either confident the recession is over or – more likely – were less affected by the downturn than us peons. No matter. When it’s bust for some, it’s boom for others, and this month’s sales figures speak for themselves.

Brand Vol. % August 2010 August 2009 DSR %* August 2010 August 2009
Cadillac 83.08 12,689 6,931 90.40 508 267
Buick 65.98 14,294 8,612 72.62 572 331
Jaguar 61.60 1,414 875 68.06 57 34
Porsche 33.16 2,032 1,526 38.48 81 59
Infiniti 21.93 9,428 7,732 26.81 377 297
Acura 19.83 11,534 9,625 24.63 461 370
Jeep 16.63 25,706 22,041 21.29 1,028 848
Audi 13.96 9,182 8,057 18.52 367 310
GMC 12.27 25,986 23,145 16.77 1,039 890
Land Rover 11.33 2,544 2,285 15.79 102 88
Mercedes-Benz 10.02 18,826 17,112 14.42 753 658
Lincoln 9.43 6,428 5,874 13.81 257 226
Dodge 7.56 35,364 32,878 11.86 1,415 1,265
Ram 4.67 20,604 19,684 8.86 824 757
BMW 1.60 19,540 19,232 5.67 782 740
Chrysler -3.66 17,937 18,619 0.19 717 716
Volkswagen -7.93 22,855 24,823 -4.25 914 955
Ford -10.74 144,035 161,369 -7.17 5,761 6,207
Hyundai -11.35 53,603 60,467 -7.81 2,144 2,326
Mini -13.42 4,425 5,111 -9.96 177 197
Lexus -14.97 19,465 22,892 -11.57 779 880
Kia -19.24 32,465 40,198 -16.01 1,299 1,546
Chevrolet -21.52 131,952 168,130 -18.38 5,278 6,467
Mercury -22.47 7,040 9,080 -19.37 282 349
Subaru -22.47 22,239 28,683 -19.36 890 1,103
Mazda -25.63 19,739 26,542 -22.66 790 1,021
Nissan -30.93 67,399 97,580 -28.17 2,696 3,753
Honda -35.98 97,195 151,814 -33.42 3,888 5,839
Toyota -36.24 128,923 202,196 -33.69 5,157 7,777
Mitsubishi -36.99 4,293 6,813 -36.99 172 273
Saab -40.08 290 484 -37.69 12 19
Suzuki -68.18 1,830 5,751 -66.91 73 221
Smart -72.38 448 1,622 -71.27 18 62
(Hummer) -73.62 205 777 -72.56 8 30
(Saturn) -99.49 43 8,479 -99.47 2 326
(Pontiac) -99.98 7 29,921 -99.98 0 1,151
Volvo n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Companies
Jaguar Land Rover 25.25 3,958 3,160 30.26 158 122
Chrysler Group 6.85 99,611 93,222 11.13 3,984 3,585
BMW Group -1.55 23,965 24,343 2.39 959 936
General Motors (Core) -10.59 184,921 206,818 -7.01 7,397 7,955
Ford Motor Company -10.67 157,503 176,323 -7.10 6,300 6,782
General Motors -24.87 185,176 246,479 -21.87 7,407 9,480
Nissan North America -27.05 76,827 105,312 -24.13 3,073 4,050
American Honda -32.65 108,729 161,439 -29.96 4,349 6,209
Toyota Mo Co -34.08 148,388 225,088 -31.44 5,936 8,657

Note: Volvo hasn’t released monthly sales figures yet, so when the Swede’s new owners at Geely get their act together and send out the numbers, we’ll update the chart.

*Brands and companies are displayed in descending order according to their percentage change in volume sales. There were 25 selling days in August 2010 versus 26 selling days in August 2009, so the change in monthly sales volume will be different than the change average daily sales rate (DSR) for each brand/company.

By The Numbers – August 2010: The C4C hangover continues originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford unveiling Boss Mustang on August 13th?

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Ford

Boss 302R

Ford Mustang Boss 302R – Click above for high-res image gallery, and watch video after the jump


With all-new powertrains debuting in the 2011 Ford Mustang, you knew it was just a matter of time before a new limited-edition model was introduced. Well, it looks like that time may be next week. As you all know very well by now, the 2011 Mustang GT has the new Ford 5.0 V8 underhood. Since the new race version (above) wears the Boss 302R moniker, a new street-going Boss 302 seems like a no-brainer.

During a recent Grand-Am race, the announcers let slip that the consumer-spec Boss 302 would debut in mid-August at Laguna Seca as part of Pebble Beach week. (The exact date spinning around the rumormill is August 13.) The Boss reportedly delivers about 430 horsepower with a price in the low $30,000 range. Ford’s motorsports partner, Multimatic, is apparently building some special parts for the Boss 302, but we’ll have to wait until next week to find out those specifics if indeed this rumor is true. Check out the video after the jump.

Gallery: 2011 Ford Boss 302R

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Ford unveiling Boss Mustang on August 13th?

Ford unveiling Boss Mustang on August 13th? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 07 Aug 2010 11:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Event Alert: August 2010 Calendar of Automotive Events

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Auctions, Event Alert

August is here, meaning it’s time for our annual pilgrimage to Monterey for the smorgasbord of classic and collectible cars that awaits. Events there include Gordon McCall’s Motorworks Revival, The Pebble Beach Tour, Concorso Italiano, The Quail, the auctions, The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, Concours d’LeMons and the granddaddy of them all – The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. We’ll be on hand to cover it all for you, just in case you can’t make the trip yourself.

For those of you more inclined toward American iron, Hot August Nights is going on and there’s the annual Woodward Dream Cruise happening in Detroit as well. Those are in addition to many other end-of-summer-type events happening around the rest of the country, like New York Autofest, Legends of Motorsport: Corvette Grand Sport, BMW West Coast Summer Concours, The 53rd Annual New Hope Automobile Show, Columbia River Concours d’Elegance, The Milwaukee Masterpiece, The Morgan Adams Concours d’Elegance, BlackTop Nationals, 4th Annual Garage Cruise, 15th CARS Inc. Open House, 20th Annual Sultans Car Show, Vista Rod Run 21, VW Jamboree, 40th Annual North – South F100 Run and the 10th Annual Woodies at the Beach to name several.

Motorsports aficionados have plenty of choices in August as well. Formula 1 hits Hungary and Belgium, while NASCAR visits Pocono, Watkins Glen, MIS and Bristol. The IndyCar Series stops at Mid-Ohio, Infineon and Chicagoland, while ALMS heads to Mid-Ohio, Road America and Mosport. WRC will be in action in Germany, while Rally America fans can catch the gang at the X-Games 16 and then at New Jersey Motorsports Park at the end of the month. LeMons brings its budget racing action to the LeMons Arse-Sweat-Apalooza and LeMons Mutually Assured Destruction of Omaha.

If none of those events appeal to you, check out our Google Calendar after the jump for even more listings, all with detailed info and links. And please don’t forget to use the comments section to add or modify listings.

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Event Alert: August 2010 Calendar of Automotive Events originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 01 Aug 2010 13:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM shooting for mid-August IPO filing?

Filed under: Government/Legal, GM

A year ago, General Motors needed a $50 billion U.S. government bailout to stave off liquidation. One year later, the Detroit-based automaker is on the precipice of filing for one of the largest initial public offerings in American history. Automotive News quotes unnamed sources who claim GM will file with the Securities and Exchange Commission by August 16. These anonymous sources reportedly added that the goal is to complete the company’s IPO before the November elections – unsurprising when you consider the highly-political nature of The General’s current status (the federal government holds a 60.8% stake in the automaker).

Assuming GM files by August 16 as AN’s sources allege, the move would come just days after the company’s second-quarter earnings announcement. If that’s indeed the case, we think GM plans to announce a sizable profit for the quarter that ended on June 30. After all, there’s nothing more unattractive to investors than a fresh batch of red ink on the ledger.

[Source: Automotive News sub. req.]

GM shooting for mid-August IPO filing? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 24 Jul 2010 11:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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