A Strong December for the Big 3

[SpartanDem]

Source: NY Times

Automakers finished 2010 on a high note, as new-vehicle sales in the United States surged in December despite a lack of big discounts.

The industry expects to build on its momentum in 2011, with General Motors and the Ford Motor Company predicting that sales would rise to as high as 13.5 million, from about 11.8 million in 2010.

G.M. on Tuesday said its sales rose 7.5 percent in December and 6.3 percent for all of 2010, a year in which it shed four of its eight brands and completed the largest public stock offering in history. For its remaining brands — Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC — sales were up 15.5 percent in December and 21.3 on the year.

“Our sales this year reflect the impact of G.M.’s new business model,” Don Johnson, G.M.’s vice president of United States sales operations, said in a statement. “The consistency of results that we achieved demonstrates the focus on our brands, dealers and customers, and how we compete aggressively for every sale, every day.”

Ford said its sales were up 7 percent in December and 19 percent on the year, the largest increase for any full-line automaker. Ford’s market share increased for the second consecutive year, an achievement that had not happened since 1993.



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/05/business/05auto.html?_r=1&src=busln

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Chrysler’s sales rose 16% in December from a year earlier and the company’s total 2010 sales were up 17% from 2009.

For the full year, Chrysler sold 1.1 million cars and trucks in the U.S., in line with CEO Sergio Marchionne’s break-even goal.

In January 2010, Marchionne said Chrysler would need to sell 1.1 million vehicles in the U.S. and 1.65 million worldwide to be profitable. Chrysler will report its fourth-quarter and year-end financial results later this month.

Consistent with American’s renewed preference for pickup trucks and SUVs, the Ram truck and Jeep divisions led December’s sales with increases of 87% and 49%, respectively. Sales of the Ram pickup nearly doubled from December 2009 to 23,241. Sales of the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee more than tripled to 12,573.

Read more: Ram, Jeep way up | freep.com | Detroit Free Press http://www.freep.com/article/20110104/BUSINESS0103/110104037/Ram-Jeep-way-up#ixzz1A5kbIGPk

[jpak]

1. Bailouts suck - this is horrible news

:D

[liberal N proud]

5. I take it you are being sarcastic

Or you would prefer they have failed and all those people would have been unemployed

:shrug:

[jpak]

7. Yes - I was being sarcastic

After 2 years of DOOOOOM mongering, sarcasm is the best revenge.

:evilgrin:

[dmallind]

2. Excellent news only doomers could hate. NT

[nyy1998]

3. Ford obviously has been doing well, and love the new Volt from Chevy, they've definitly turned...

the stone and can see the light at the end of the tunnel(ok, done with the metaphors). Chrysler has done really nice job on their Jeep campaign, but their main line is still struggling and they need to fix that if they want to really turn themselves around.

[NMDemDist2]

4. we're part of that stat

hubby got a new Chevy for christmas :bounce:

[sufrommich]

6. WooHoo! Hopefully that means more jobs in the future. nt