While car sales in Europe continue to decline month after month, things are looking much brighter in the U.S., where August sales have returned to levels seen before the start of the financial crisis. Sales were boosted by low interest rates and job growth, according to automakers, which are increasing capacity and adding overnight shifts to meet demand.
1.5 million vehicles were sold in the U.S. last month, up 17 percent from a year ago, with nearly all major automakers reporting double-digit sale gains. August sales correspond to an annualized pace of 16.09 million vehicles, up from December 2007’s about 16 million. It’s still less than in 2000, when around 17.4 million vehicles were sold.
GM reported 275,847 sales in August, 15 percent more than a year ago, the highest monthly total since September 2008. 61,620 of GM’s total sales were pickups.
Ford’s sales rose 12 percent to 220,404 cars and light trucks, 71,115 of which were F-Series pickup trucks. Ford said that was the equivalent of selling one F-Series truck every 42 seconds, 24 hours a day. It was Ford’s best month for pickups since 2006.
Chrysler also reported double-digit growth (11 percent), with August sales growing to 120,161 units. It was the 41st consecutive month of growth for the Fiat-owned automaker. Sales were boosted by a 31 percent increase in demand for Ram pickups and SUVs such as the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango.
Import brands reported even bigger growth, with foreign carmakers accounting for 56.1 percent of sales last month, up from a low of 49.9 percent in June 2011. Asian and European carmakers had the best sales results, with Toyota, Honda and Nissan reporting gains of 23 percent, 27 percent and 22 percent, respectively.
BMW said its U.S. sales rose 35.4 percent over a year earlier to 30,546 units, while Mercedes-Benz reported August sales of 27,144, up 15.8 percent. Audi said August 2013 was the second highest sales month in its history, with 14,005 vehicles sold (+21.5 percent).
By Dan Mihalascu
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