By the Numbers: February Auto Sales (or lack of)

Autoblog ^

[MAD-AS-HELL]

One more day in February wouldn't have done much to salvage yet another bad month of sales for the U.S. auto industry, but it wouldn't have hurt. All of the big automakers saw sales down around 40% or more last month compared to February 2008. Chrysler Co. (-44%), Ford Motor Company (-48.4%) and General Motors (-52.9%) again took the brunt of it, but Toyota (-39.8%), Honda (-38%) and Nissan (-37%) weren't far behind. This just goes to show that the argument about U.S. domestic automakers not selling what people want to buy is bogus, as people just aren't buying across the board.

[MAD-AS-HELL]

I'd hate to be a Saab salesman. Some brands did well but in general, the once mighty auto industry is hurting big time.

[Joe Boucher]

Saab hasn’t had anything to offer since they introduced their first add campaign in America, with a cheap crappy vehicle they advertised as, “The No Bullshit Car”.
As for the U.S auto industry, had they done like Toyota decades ago and decided to make them the best they can instead of making them cheaper maybe the U.S. auto industry would be trusted now.

[RedDogzRule]

That’s a logical fallacy that just because Honda and Toyota are also down in February, that must mean American cars are still good. If that were the case, American cars would have been up every month prior. It’s the economy, stupid (directed at the article, not the poster).

[GeronL]

so only about 9 people bougt a new car in February??

[popdonnelly]

We bought a new car in February. Got to do my part to help the economy. Unfortunately, Obama is doing everything he can to beat the economy down.

[GeronL]

Saab has more employee’s/parts makers included than the number of cars they sell. Can that be right?

[RocketMan1]

I haven’t bought an “American” car in my life. I don’t buy into the “Buy American” mantra because I am NOT going to subsidize the UAW and their strong arm tactics that has done nothing but increase the price of automobiles and decrease the quality thereof. Besides, anyone who *believes* he is “buying American” is delusional — parts come from all over the world for “American” cars.

The greatest chance for me to become an “American car” purchaser was in the Fall when the prospect of the “BIG 3” to declare bankruptcy and void all UAW contracts. Had they done so, and started hiring INDIVIDUALS with a proven ability to make quality cars (novel concept!) AND the ability to fire them when they prove they are INCAPABLE of following employee guidelines of making the company profitable; I would be among the first in line!

Until then, I am NOT going to buy a Detroit POS that will not last as long as I am making payments! At least I can get about 8-10 years out of my Japanese and German cars.

[papasmurf]

Nice catch. I'd really like to know how the new 'Vette is doing. Anybody know?

Subaru 1.40% 13089 12906 5.60% 545 516

Kia 0.40% 22073 21988 4.60% 920 880

Hyundai -1.50% 30621 31090 2.60% 1276 1244

Porsche -11.50% 1518 1715 -7.80% 63 69

MINI -17.20% 2826 3415 -13.80% 118 137

VW -17.50% 13660 16556 -14.00% 569 662

Mercedes -23.50% 14199 18564 -20.30% 592 743

Audi -24.40% 4653 6152 -21.20% 194 246

Mazda -30.40% 16401 23548 -27.40% 683 942

Jeep -32.00% 21941 32243 -29.10% 914 1290

Infiniti -36.80% 6359 10068 -34.20% 265 403

Nissan -37.10% 47890 76151 -34.50% 1995 3046

BMW -37.50% 12979 20775 -34.90% 541 831

Honda -37.50% 63916 102313 -34.90% 2663 4093

Lexus -38.40% 13108 21277 -35.80% 546 851

Dodge -38.80% 46590 76141 -32.30% 1941 3046

Toyota -40.00% 96475 160892 -37.50% 4020 6436

Pontiac -40.70% 14200 23935 -38.20% 592 957

Lincoln -41.20% 5633 9573 -38.70% 235 383

Acura -41.50% 7659 13084 -39.00% 319 523

Mercury -44.60% 5989 10806 -42.30% 250 432

Ford -48.80% 84422 164915 -46.70% 3518 6597

Mitsubishi -50.80% 4484 9105 -48.70% 187 364

GMC -51.20% 16204 33237 -49.20% 675 1329

Buick -51.50% 6196 12768 -49.50% 258 511

Cadillac -52.20% 4666 9760 -50.20% 194 390

Chevrolet -54.50% 75555 166166 -52.60% 3148 6647

Volvo -55.30% 3356 7505 -53.40% 140 300

Saturn -57.20% 6338 14801 -55.40% 264 592

Suzuki -60.30% 3495 8800 -58.60% 146 352

Saab -62.80% 482 1295 -61.20% 20 52

Chrysler -62.80% 15519 41709 -61.20% 647 1668

HUMMER -68.70% 1053 3362 -67.40% 44 134

COMPANIES

BMW Group -34.70% 15805 24190 -31.90% 659 968

Nissan NA -37.00% 54249 86219 -34.50% 2260 3449

Honda America -38.00% 71575 115397 -35.40% 2982 4616

Toyota Mo Co -39.80% 109583 182169 -37.30% 4566 7287

Chrysler LLC -44.00% 84050 150093 -41.70% 3502 6004

FoMoCo -48.40% 99400 192799 -46.30% 4142 7711

General Motors -52.90% 127296 270423 -51.00% 5304 10817

I'd also like to know what I did wrong on my table. No formatting or lines?!%#@!!

[muawiyah]

For the dealers a 40% drop in a US brand is worse than a 40% drop in a foreign brand (irrespective of where the vehicles are made) simply because they have to maintain a far higher inventory of US brand than foreign brand vehicles.

There's some really serious modernization that has to be done in variations and models offered ~ and pretty soon too because sales at the present volume are not enough to keep the dealers in business.

[muawiyah]

For the dealers a 40% drop in a US brand is worse than a 40% drop in a foreign brand (irrespective of where the vehicles are made) simply because they have to maintain a far higher inventory of US brand than foreign brand vehicles.

There's some really serious modernization that has to be done in variations and models offered ~ and pretty soon too because sales at the present volume are not enough to keep the dealers in business.

[patton]

Dunno what cars you are buying, but me 2001 Ford F-250 snowplow is running great, has been paid off for years, and made me about a thousand bucks yesterday.

[genghis]

how do you make a car in iowa?
grow the corn really high,
ship to japan and a car comes back.

[REPANDPROUDOFIT]

Just think how different things would be if they had structured the auto (UAW) "bailout(s)" differently:

Offer an immediate and significant TAX CREDIT to everyone buying a new American made car or truck. I'm talking significant - two or three thousand dollars right off a person's tax bill for two or three years.

You would have money trickling up from the dealerships to the auto giants, helping all aspects of the business. Those huge backlogs on car lots and at our nation's ports would be reduced.

The auto companies would have a choice of taking advantage of the windfall and restructuring or turning the new profits right over to the UAW.

Whether they succeed or fail is up to them. But, at least, people would have something to show for their money!

[Joe Boucher]

30 years in the U.S.P.S.,
I bet you could write a tell all book or two that would be both funny as hell and revealing stupidity beyond belief.

[muawiyah]

No doubt I could, but you know that running gag joke in "The Simpsons" where the letter carrier throws down his bag and pulls out an automatic weapon?

Why do you think that's a joke?

[Joe Boucher]

Not at all.
I know that in any profession that deals with the public leads to noteworthy episodes.
I would have to believe that unless you are a zip code person that sits at a console and directs mail and rarely interact with the general public most jobs within the post office deal directly with j.q., pain is the rear sometimes, public.