Mar 2008 USA Sales: MB, BMW, Audi, Porsche


chonkoa

Aerodynamic Artisan
Audi March '08 Sales:

Total March sales = 7989 units, a 0.4% decrease against 2007 numbers(8020)
A3= 408 units
A4/S4/RS4= 3495 units
A4/S4 Cab = 566 units
A5/S5 units = 464 units
A6/S6 units = 898 units
A8/S8 units = 249 units
TT = 473 units
R8 = 44 units
Q7 = 1309 units


BMW March '08 Sales

Total BMW Brand for March is 23,115 a decrease of 8.7% against 2007 numbers (25,325)
Total BMW group sales is 27,404 a decrease of 5.4% against 2007 numbers (28,980)

Breakdown as follows:

1 Series = 1496
3 Series = 11,226 units
5 Series = 3677 units
6 Series = 593 units
7 Series = 1,467 units
Z4 Roadster = 772 units
X3 SAV = 1732 units
X5 SAV = 3884 units

Mini Brand = 4,289 units

BMW Group Reports March Sales


Mercedes-Benz March '08 Sales

Total Mercedes Benz sold=20808, a decrease of 3.7% over 2007(21612 units).
C Class = 6713 units
E Class = 3039 units
S Class = 1622 units
CL Class = 297 units
SL Class = 379 unis
CLK Class= 1218 units
SLK Class= 561 units
CLS Class= 935 units
R Class = 874 unts
M Class = 3189 units
GL Class = 1908 units
G Class = 73 units.

19708


Porsche March '08 Sales

Total March sales of 2624 units, a drop of 20% against 2007 numbers(3278 units)

Boxter/Caymen = 572 units
All 911 = 825 units
Cayenne = 1227 unts


VW March '08 Sales

VW.webp

VW Newsroom: VOLKSWAGEN REPORTS MARCH 2008 SALES
 
BMW and Mercedes both should see gains starting this month and next. All of their new models start arriving this month.

Smart *seems* to be a hit so far.

M
 
By the Numbers: March 2008
Biggest Winner
MINI
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26.4% at 4,289 (3/07: 3,655)

Biggest Loser
HUMMER
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–23.3% at 3,451 (3/07: 4,847)

BRANDS
Acura
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–15.8% at 13,288 (3/07: 16,986)
Audi
ba237b1920e37bb51021c135df613446.webp
7.2% at 7,987 (3/07: 8,020)
BMW
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–1.7% at 23,115 (3/07: 25,325)
Buick
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–18.2% at 12,317 (3/07: 16,222)
Cadillac
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–0.8% at 17,453 (3/07: 18,943)
Chevrolet
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–16.9% at 164,564 (3/07: 213,156)
Chrysler
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–15.8% at 40,539 (3/07: 51,874)
Dodge
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–15.3% at 85,906 (3/07: 109,226)
Ford
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–6.7% at 187,828 (3/07: 216,788)
GMC
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1.2% at 38,422 (3/07: 40,894)
Honda
ba237b1920e37bb51021c135df613446.webp
6.9% at 125,446 (3/07: 126,406)
HUMMER
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–23.3% at 3,451 (3/07: 4,847)
Hyundai
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9.8% at 42,796 (3/07: 41,984)
Infiniti
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7.3% at 13,821 (3/07: 13,877)
Jaguar
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13.2% at 1,752 (3/07: 1,667)
Jeep
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–5.1% at 39,941 (3/07: 45,335)
Kia
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–2.8% at 24,871 (3/07: 27,567)
Land Rover
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–10.2% at 3,054 (3/07: 3,663)
Lexus
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–6.9% at 24,939 (3/07: 28,855)
Lincoln
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–20.4% at 10,913 (3/07: 14,770)
Mazda
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–6.0% at 32,929 (3/07: 37,742)
Mercedes
ba237b1920e37bb51021c135df613446.webp
3.7% at 20,808 (3/07: 21,612)
Mercury
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–11.4% at 14,333 (3/07: 17,426)
MINI
ba237b1920e37bb51021c135df613446.webp
26.4% at 4,289 (3/07: 3,655)
Mitsubishi
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–7.7% at 10,750 (3/07: 12,536)
Nissan
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3.1% at 93,100 (3/07: 97,242)
Pontiac
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–10.1% at 25,417 (3/07: 30,448)
Porsche
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–13.8% at 2,624 (3/07: 3,278)
Saab
ba237b1920e37bb51021c135df613446.webp
12.4% at 2,962 (3/07: 2,837)
Saturn
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–7.5% at 18,146 (3/07: 21,123)
Toyota
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–2.9% at 192,791 (3/07: 213,820)
Volkswagen
ba237b1920e37bb51021c135df613446.webp
21.5% at 19,587 (3/07: 17,355)
Volvo
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–6.4% at 9,263 (3/07: 10,661)

YET TO REPORT
Subaru
Suzuki

COMPANIES
BMW Group
ba237b1920e37bb51021c135df613446.webp
1.8% at 27,404 (3/07: 28,980)
Chrysler Group
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–13.2% at 166,386 (3/07: 206,435)
Ford Motor Co
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–7.7% at 227,143 (3/07: 264,975)
General Motors
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–13% at 282,732 (3/07: 349,866)
Honda America
ba237b1920e37bb51021c135df613446.webp
4.2% at 138,734 (3/07: 143,392)
Nissan North America
ba237b1920e37bb51021c135df613446.webp
3.6% at 106,921 (3/07: 111,119)
Toyota Motor Co.
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–3.4% at 217,730 (3/07: 242,675)
 
By the Numbers: March 2008
Biggest Winner
MINI
ba237b1920e37bb51021c135df613446.webp
26.4% at 4,289 (3/07: 3,655)

Biggest Loser
HUMMER
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–23.3% at 3,451 (3/07: 4,847)

BRANDS
Acura
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–15.8% at 13,288 (3/07: 16,986)
Audi
ba237b1920e37bb51021c135df613446.webp
7.2% at 7,987 (3/07: 8,020)
BMW
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–1.7% at 23,115 (3/07: 25,325)
Buick
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–18.2% at 12,317 (3/07: 16,222)
Cadillac
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–0.8% at 17,453 (3/07: 18,943)
Chevrolet
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–16.9% at 164,564 (3/07: 213,156)
Chrysler
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–15.8% at 40,539 (3/07: 51,874)
Dodge
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–15.3% at 85,906 (3/07: 109,226)
Ford
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–6.7% at 187,828 (3/07: 216,788)
GMC
ba237b1920e37bb51021c135df613446.webp
1.2% at 38,422 (3/07: 40,894)
Honda
ba237b1920e37bb51021c135df613446.webp
6.9% at 125,446 (3/07: 126,406)
HUMMER
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–23.3% at 3,451 (3/07: 4,847)
Hyundai
ba237b1920e37bb51021c135df613446.webp
9.8% at 42,796 (3/07: 41,984)
Infiniti
ba237b1920e37bb51021c135df613446.webp
7.3% at 13,821 (3/07: 13,877)
Jaguar
ba237b1920e37bb51021c135df613446.webp
13.2% at 1,752 (3/07: 1,667)
Jeep
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–5.1% at 39,941 (3/07: 45,335)
Kia
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–2.8% at 24,871 (3/07: 27,567)
Land Rover
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–10.2% at 3,054 (3/07: 3,663)
Lexus
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–6.9% at 24,939 (3/07: 28,855)
Lincoln
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–20.4% at 10,913 (3/07: 14,770)
Mazda
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–6.0% at 32,929 (3/07: 37,742)
Mercedes
ba237b1920e37bb51021c135df613446.webp
3.7% at 20,808 (3/07: 21,612)
Mercury
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–11.4% at 14,333 (3/07: 17,426)
MINI
ba237b1920e37bb51021c135df613446.webp
26.4% at 4,289 (3/07: 3,655)
Mitsubishi
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–7.7% at 10,750 (3/07: 12,536)
Nissan
ba237b1920e37bb51021c135df613446.webp
3.1% at 93,100 (3/07: 97,242)
Pontiac
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–10.1% at 25,417 (3/07: 30,448)
Porsche
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–13.8% at 2,624 (3/07: 3,278)
Saab
ba237b1920e37bb51021c135df613446.webp
12.4% at 2,962 (3/07: 2,837)
Saturn
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–7.5% at 18,146 (3/07: 21,123)
Toyota
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–2.9% at 192,791 (3/07: 213,820)
Volkswagen
ba237b1920e37bb51021c135df613446.webp
21.5% at 19,587 (3/07: 17,355)
Volvo
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–6.4% at 9,263 (3/07: 10,661)

YET TO REPORT
Subaru
Suzuki

COMPANIES
BMW Group
ba237b1920e37bb51021c135df613446.webp
1.8% at 27,404 (3/07: 28,980)
Chrysler Group
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–13.2% at 166,386 (3/07: 206,435)
Ford Motor Co
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–7.7% at 227,143 (3/07: 264,975)
General Motors
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–13% at 282,732 (3/07: 349,866)
Honda America
ba237b1920e37bb51021c135df613446.webp
4.2% at 138,734 (3/07: 143,392)
Nissan North America
ba237b1920e37bb51021c135df613446.webp
3.6% at 106,921 (3/07: 111,119)
Toyota Motor Co.
1a316a336852a1e0c6358eab8b2d6ce2.webp
–3.4% at 217,730 (3/07: 242,675)

hmm those numbers arent the same as the ones above:confused:
 
All of the numbers are for the U.S. only. The difference between them is that the top are numbers for the brands only and the ones are the bottom include all the brands within a particular company. Chrysler and BMW on the top are just for those brands, at the bottom they include for instance with BMW, Mini, BMW and Rolls-Royce.


Also for some of they they show an increase over the same month from last year due to their being less selling days during the month this year compared to last. So in other words if they sold the same or a little less cars this year because of fewer selling days they're counting that as an increase, say for instance with Mercedes-Benz's numbers. An old American car industry tactic (i.e. BS) IMO.


M
 
Recession catching up to all industries?

Recession? ... what recession? :t-hands:

So most automotive manufacturers have been in the red this month compared to the same period last year... it's not as though they're crumbling at the knees.

Lexus still pushing out nearly 25,000 sales a month, BMW getting over 23,000 this month... no reason to worry about a recession... just a little bit of slowdown, nothing major. :)

Just curious, has there ever been a month where BMW's come this close to Lexus in sales... only about a 1,800 unit sales difference?

Also, damn that Lexus RX still keeps selling at a strong rate. Lexus sold nearly as many RX's as Audi did their entire line-up. Crazy! Even more weird, Volvo outsells Audi in the States... waaat on earth is going on there?? :t-crazy2:
 
I forget who it was, but someone was asking for the MB sales in Canada, a press release on the subject:


April 1, 2008

Mercedes-Benz reports strongest 1st quarter in its history. Combined Mercedes-Benz and smart sales up by 19.4 %

TORONTO, ON (April 1, 2008) – Mercedes-Benz Canada reported today a total of 2,055 units registered for the month of March. On the Mercedes-Benz side, 1,731 units were delivered in March while we saw a year-to-date growth of 11.1%. A total of 324 smart fortwos were reported sold in March, up by 58%. At the end of the first three months of 2008, smart fortwo sales are up by 96.9%. The combined Mercedes-Benz and smart sales showed an increase of 4.8% for the month and a record-breaking 4,749 units or a gain of 19.4% for the best first quarter.

Sustained and buoyant B-Class, C-Class, M-Class and GL-Class model sales were instrumental in making the month of March the success it was. The next generation All-New 2008 C-Class accounted for close to 700 units. The CLK-Class and the GL-Class retail deliveries were up respectively by 125% and 68.3% in March. The company’s diesel sales ratio was 51.3% for the month while the permanent all-wheel drive 4MATIC™ units accounted for 62.9% of the overall passenger car and light truck sales (excluding smart).

Total Mercedes-Benz passenger car sales were at 1,308 units for the month and ahead by 241 units or 8.6% on a year-to-date basis.

On the luxury light truck side, the M-Class, R-Class and GL-Class continued their growth in March with 423 sales and a gain of 30.2% compared to March 2007 results; the light trucks have shown a development of 19.6% for the first quarter.

On the pre-owned side, Mercedes-Benz Canada also reported a best ever March with 688 Mercedes-Benz and smart units for the month. On a year-to-date basis, pre-owned results are pegged at 1,652 units for the first quarter which represents a year over year increase of 35%.

Marcus Breitschwerdt, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Canada said,”The March results certainly did help generate the strongest first quarter in our company’s history. At the end of March, we are ahead by well over 400 units over any previous first quarter results recorded. Virtually every Class in our extensive product lineup is doing quite well. While the B-Class and C-Class account for an important share of our success, the E-Class and S-Class models continue to win the hearts of our customers. Our light trucks have fared extremely well in this first quarter and this is partially attributed to the three very successful diesel SUV models we have been offering for more than a year now. We are very pleased with our progress thus far.”



BenzInsider.com - The Official Mercedes-Benz Fan Blog Ahead of the curve: Canadian sales


M
 
Found a nice summary of the March sales numbers for luxury cars on Autospies:

BRAND TOTAL

1. Lexus - 24,939
2. BMW - 23,115
3. Mercedes-Benz - 20,808
4. Cadillac - 17,453
5. Infiniti - 13,821
6. Acura - 13,288
7. Lincoln - 10,913
8. Volvo - 9,263
9. Audi - 7,987
10. Saab - 2,962
11. Jaguar - 1,752

PRE-ENTRY LEVEL

1. Acura TSX - 2,280
2. Volvo S40 - 1,528
3. BMW 1-Series - 1,496

ENTRY-LEVEL

1. BMW 3-Series - 11,226
2. Infiniti G - 8,269
3. Mercedes-Benz C-Class - 6,713
4. Cadillac CTS - 6,045
5. Lexus ES - 6,019
6. Lexus IS - 4,798
7. Acura TL - 4,269
8. Audi A4 - 4,061
9. Lincoln MKZ - 3,501
10. Saab 9-3 - 2,133
11. Volvo S60 - 1,243
12. Jaguar X-Type - 46

MID-LEVEL

1. BMW 5-Series - 3,667
2. Mercedez-Benz E-Class - 3,039
3. Infiniti M - 1,753
4. Lexus GS - 1,668
5. Volvo S80 - 1,629
6. Cadillac STS - 1,486
7. Jaguar XF - 1,161
8. Audi A6 - 898
9. Acura RL - 548
10. Saab 9-5 - 316
11. Jaguar S-Type - 80

FLAGSHIP

1. Lexus LS - 2,125
2. Mercedez-Benz S-Class - 1,622
3. BMW 7-Series - 1,467
4. Audi A8 - 249
5. Jaguar XJ - 218

It appears the Jaguar XF is off to a running start, outselling everything else Jaguar sales combined!

M
 
11. Jaguar - 1,752
12. Jaguar X-Type - 46
7. Jaguar XF - 1,161
11. Jaguar S-Type - 80
5. Jaguar XJ - 218

It appears the Jaguar XF is off to a running start, outselling everything else Jaguar sales combined!
M

Ooh, like that is hard. X,S,XJ are doing soooo well.
 
True, but it still proves that people haven't written Jaguar off. They can generate showroom traffic if given the right product.

M
 
Complete U.S. market analysis for the month of March 2008, courtesy of the Edmunds Auto Observer:


Automakers in March finally experienced the full brunt of two huge economic problems that had been nibbling at their market for months: rising gasoline prices, and American consumers’ falling economic expectations.

Sales for the industry dropped 11.9 percent in March, to 1,351,838 units, the worst performance for the month since 1993. Even more significant, the results accelerated a market deterioration that saw overall U.S. auto sales fall by 7.8 percent to 3,565,828 units for the first quarter. Annual sales rates, seasonally adjusted, slipped to near 15 million units.

A wicked combination of $3.50-a-gallon gasoline, higher prices for food and other necessities, mortgage woes and a shaky stock market left many American consumers more nervous and dispirited than anyone had expected them to be just a few months ago.

“We’re seeing new-car sales decline, not because people can’t afford them, but because there’s a lack of trust in the stability of the economy,” said Jesse Toprak, chief industry analyst for Edmunds.com. “There’s been a real erosion of wealth, and consumers are not in the mood to shop for a car. This is more of a psychological impact more than the inability to purchase a new vehicle.”

Steven Landry, Chrysler’s executive vice president of North American sales, agreed that “in this environment, consumers are facing a lot of pressure from housing prices, fuel prices and the tightening of credit in the marketplace.” He said that “managing through consumers’ expectations on those three issues alone is a challenge — but it’s doable.”

Yet OEM executives didn’t even get close to guaranteeing things would improve soon. They had begun 2008 predicting the worst year for U.S. sales in a decade, with an especially bad first half. But now some are shying away from earlier confidence that the second half of this year would bring substantial improvement. Bob Carter, general manager of Toyota Motor Corp.’s Toyota division, told The Associated Press the company is lowering its full-year sales forecast.

Jim Farley, Ford’s group vice president of marketing and communications, couldn’t be sanguine either. “I’d like to tell you the worst is behind us, but I can’t give you that assurance,” he said. “There’s a lot of uncertainty around all the issues, especially credit availability for consumers. The second quarter may be the most difficult of the year.”

But Mike DiGiovanni, General Motors’ executive director of global market analysis, insisted the company is “starting to see some of the things occurring that we had expected to happen." Among the few positive signs he cited are an edging downward of mortgage rates, strengthening export sales, a slight improvement in manufacturing and a sopping up of the housing glut, especially in markets in California.

Further, GM has high hopes for the checks Americans will soon receive as part of the federal economic stimulus package. But Ford isn’t expecting much of an impact, citing surveys that indicate consumers will spend only about 25 percent of their rebates on average, with 40 percent of the total going to pay bills and the remainder to savings.

Meanwhile, one thing seems certain — if also painful — for the months ahead: higher levels of incentive spending. All the major OEMs but Chrysler held fairly steady against the temptation to offer blowout incentives in March. But, Toprak noted, “incentive spending has reached $2,500 per vehicle, and it should continue to increase until July, breaking past record incentive spending in 2004.”

GENERAL MOTORS

General Motors’ sales for March and for the quarter dropped by double digits. In March, GM sold 282,732 vehicles, a 19.2 percent drop from the year-ago March. For the quarter, GM sold 805,720 vehicles, an 11.4 percent decline from the first quarter of 2007.

GM executives, participating in the monthly conference call on sales, said the industry is playing out as they had predicted, and they are not changing GM’s forecast. GM has been among the most optimistic of the automakers, predicting a 2008 softer than 2007 but with an upturn in the second half.

“It would be silly to change our forecast before we wait and see what happens with that,” said DiGiovanni in the conference call. “That would be like being two runs down in the bottom of the ninth inning when the heart of the lineup is up to bat, and forfeiting the game. All of the stimulus is in front of us.”

GM executives said despite the monthly and quarterly sales drops, GM is doing better in retail sales. Daily rental sales in March were down a planned 12,000 units from a year ago. However, commercial fleet sales were down an unexpected 8,000 vehicles, in part because of a strike by union workers at supplier American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings. The supplier produces key parts, especially for GM’s full-size trucks and SUVs. Plants building those models began shutting down almost immediately after the strike began Feb. 26. GM now has as many as 30 plants idled or only partially operational. The strike has pushed GM’s inventory of unsold vehicles to 875,680 vehicles, its lowest March on record.

Beyond that, GM executives refused to comment much on the strike.

The Good
The good news for GM is in its new models — they are being well received by customers.

The Chevrolet Malibu had a 7.3 percent increase in sales in March, pushing it 16.7 percent higher for the quarter.

Mark LaNeve, GM vice president of sales, service and marketing, noted in the monthly conference call the even more important numbers are the retail sales numbers for Malibu — up 122 percent from the previous Malibu, which was popular with daily rental fleet. He also noted the transaction price on the Malibu, being sold with few or no incentives, is $4,000 more than the old Malibu. That’s about the same or $1,000 above its arch-rival, the Toyota Camry, LaNeve said.

“The Malibu is hitting on all cylinders,” he said. “And we’ve haven’t come close to meeting consumer demand. We’re still ramping up production.”

GM recently announced it was adding Malibu production at its Lake Orion, Mich., assembly plant. It previously built Malibus only at its Kansas City plant.

Similarly, the newly launched Cadillac CTS is enjoying substantially higher sales — up 33.4 percent in March and 55.1 percent in the quarter. LaNeve said the transaction price of the new CTS is about $7,000 higher than that of the old CTS. The STS had improved sales for the month and quarter as well.

The popularity of GM’s three crossovers, soon to be joined by a fourth with the Chevrolet Traverse, continues. The GMC Acadia, which now routinely outsells the Yukon and Yukon XL, had its best sales month since May last year. The Buick Enclave and Saturn Outlook had a strong month, as well.

In terms of division, GMC and Saturn had good months. GMC sales were up 1.2 percent in March, though they are 6.1 percent off for the quarter. Saturn sales overall were down but due almost entirely to the fact that the Ion, which sold more than 4,000 cars last March, is gone and the replacement Astra is just coming to market. The Aura had a particularly good month, with sales up 21.5 percent, putting it 22 percent ahead for the quarter.

Even Saab was on the positive side in March, with sales up 12.4 percent, though they are down 12.8 percent for the calendar year. Heavy incentives pushed the 9-7X SUV into positive territory.

The Bad
Trucks and SUVs are dragging GM down. GM’s total light-truck sales were down 15.7 2008_chevrolet_trailblazer_240 percent in March; 14.1 percent for the quarter. GM is experiencing double-digit declines in a number of lines:
* Cadillac Escalade — down 20 percent in March; 22.5 percent for the quarter;
* Chevrolet Tahoe — down 29.1 percent in March; 26 percent for the quarter;
* Chevrolet TrailBlazer — down 50.5 percent in March, 24.6 percent for the quarter;
* GMC Yukon — down 25.6 percent in March; 30.7 percent for the quarter;
* Chevrolet Sierra pickup — down 18.8 percent in March; 31 percent for the quarter.

GM’s small trucks, the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon, are also not faring well while the Ford Ranger, being pushed with aggressive regional incentives, is selling.

Surprisingly, GM’s small cars, which had been selling well, had a lousy month. The Chevrolet Aveo saw sales plummet by 41.5 percent in March, pushing them 19.2 percent lower for the quarter. Sales of the aging Chevrolet Cobalt fell 18 percent in March, though sales were up 14.5 percent for the quarter.

FORD

Ford Motor Co. was dragged down by the faltering economy and by the company’s reliance on full-size pickups, large SUVs and other gas-thirsty vehicles, as overall March sales fell by 14 percent, to 227,143 vehicles.

Yet Ford also was able to capture significant numbers of consumers migrating to more fuel-efficient vehicles, as retail sales of its Focus compact and Edge crossover each rose by about 35 percent in March compared with a year earlier.

“This is a very challenging external environment, reflecting a seismic shift in consumer preferences,” said Ford's Farley. “These conditions will likely persist in the near future. At Ford, we remain focused on executing our plan, which includes being profitable at lower volume and changed mix.”

Sales of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles to individual retail customers were 17 percent lower than a year ago, with essentially the entire decline concentrated in truck and SUV models. Sales to daily rental companies were down 13 percent compared with a year earlier, and total fleet sales declined 9 percent.

Ford’s truck sales overall were 25 percent lower in March and sales of its four full-size SUV models declined 24 percent. On the other hand, industry-wide sales of small cars including Focus were 19 percent of the market during the first quarter, up from 14 percent during the first quarter of 2004, according to George Pipas, head of U.S. sales analysis for Ford. “That pace of segment shifts is accelerating in 2008,” he said.

Also, Pipas noted, industry-wide sales of crossovers now are almost double sales of full-size SUVs, marking the continuation of a dramatic flip-flop in market share between the two segments. At the beginning of the decade, he said, SUVs outsold crossovers six to one.

Another general-market trend that is reflected in Ford’s sales is a dramatic shift by consumers toward the most fuel-efficient powertrains. About 70 percent of buyers of the Fusion sedan, for example, opted for the available four-cylinder engine in March compared with only about 60 percent a year ago. “We’re also seeing this change with powertrains in Ranger and Mariner” and other vehicles, Pipas said. “It’s pervasive in the sense that you see it in almost every area.”

Incentive spending for Ford declined in March from February but rose “a little bit” compared with a year ago, Farley said, “nothing significant.” According to Edmunds.com’s proprietary analysis, Ford’s Total Cost of Incentives (TCI), including dealer spending, was an average of $3,017 per vehicle in March, down from $3,317 in February and lower than the $3,114 figure of March 2007.

Ford’s overall market share for March was 15 percent, which Farley called “well above our year share objective.” Yet for every one-percentage-point decline in the full-size truck segment's share of the industry, he said, Ford loses three-tenths of a point of share even if its share of that segment remains constant.

Farley further emphasized Ford has left its rose-colored glasses on the shelf and is keeping production in line with leaner expectations, at least for the second quarter. Vehicle inventories dropped by 34,000 units in March, and they were 11,000 units lower than at the end of March 2007.

“We’re not letting this industry get away from us,” Farley said. “We have several times reiterated our intentions to monitor consumer demand and to adjust production accordingly (because of) the importance of maintaining inventory at levels that can drive a virtuous circle and our recovery plan.”

And Farley said several new-product launches later this year, including the Ford Flex crossover and a new Ford F-150 truck, form “a basis for optimism” for the second half of 2008, when most industry executives expect a recovery to be in process.

The Good
As consumers have moved toward lighter and more fuel-efficient models, they are opting for versions of those vehicles with richer content. Focus, Fusion, Edge, Mariner and Escape all experienced greater demand for higher-end versions as well as extra equipment, Farley said.

“The mix is shifting in a positive way with those vehicles, and that’s definitely helping us,” Farley said. “The incremental volume also is helping us. They’re not contributing the margins that full-size trucks do, but they’re still helping us.” And Ford continues with its company-wide cost-reduction efforts, he said, “and getting our business right-sized.”

Overall Focus sales (including fleets), for instance, rose 24 percent in March and 23 percent for the year-to-date in large part because of the attractiveness of Sync, the in-car connectivity system Ford developed with Microsoft. It is a $395 option in the middle version of Focus and standard in the most expensive trim level.

More than 100,000 Ford customers have opted for Sync since it was introduced last fall on a dozen models across the company’s three brands. It takes 10 fewer days, on average, to turn a Sync-equipped vehicle than the same model without Sync, Farley said.

“Focus buyers are younger, and Sync is playing a big role in attracting them,” Farley said. “It’s an example of the fact that young people don’t necessarily just buy ‘cheap transportation.’”

Edge sales overall rose by 24 percent in March and 47 percent for the quarter. Also notably, last year’s best-selling crossover nationwide more than doubled its first-quarter retail sales on the West Coast and in the Northeast, and California accounted for more than 10 percent of Edge sales compared with just seven percent a year ago. “These are gains,” Pipas said, “that are outside our traditional areas of strength” including the Midwest.

Sales of Jaguar vehicles in March rose five percent, perhaps offering a glimmer of understanding of why Tata Group decided to buy Jaguar and the Land Rover brand from Ford’s Premier Automotive Group stable.

The Bad
Practically any large Ford vehicle sold abysmally in March. F-series sales were down 24 percent in March and 14 percent for the quarter. Expedition plummeted 34 percent for the month, the model’s worst March in at least six years, and 25 percent for the year to date. Navigator and Mountaineer also suffered their worst March sales at least since Edmunds.com data that stretches back to 2002.

The other pieces of the Premier Automotive Group fared badly. Land Rover sales tanked, dropping 17 percent in March and 14 percent for the quarter. Sales of Volvo — a brand Ford is keeping — fell by 13 percent in March.

CHRYSLER

As the heavyweight automaker with the most to lose from any protracted downturn, Chrysler displayed a bit of a whistling-through-the-graveyard mentality in assessing its 19 percent drop in March sales to 166,386 units.

Asked when he believes sales might turn around, Steven Landry, Chrysler’s executive vice president of North American sales, said, “I hope tomorrow. I don’t know if I can take another March like this one. But I find it hard to forecast past 30 days.”

Indeed, March hammered Chrysler by gutting demand for its large trucks and SUVs and by frustrating consumers into lowering their expectations as they headed into Chrysler dealerships — rather than looking to move up, as they had until recently. That was the case even with incentive levels that led the industry.

“We see consumers coming into dealerships wanting to trade down to lower monthly payments now,” Landry said. “That’s a different dynamic that dealers aren’t used to. We see a shift … to lower-priced vehicles.”

Lower retail sales exacerbated the worsening of the overall picture for Chrysler, Landry said, because the company is sticking with its long-term strategy of a “planned fleet (sales) reduction, especially in daily-rental vehicles.”

But the New Day marketing campaign Chrysler launched in February continued to pay off in March. The program basically adds packages of options such as leather seats, air conditioning and Chrysler’s MyGig onboard electronics system at low or no charges. Vehicles with the New Day packages turned at better rates than those without, Landry said.

“When (consumers) look at our New Day packages and then look at the competition, they see extra doodads in, or chrome on, our vehicle — and not on the other,” Landry said. “That’s where we’re hoping to get a leg up. But it’s young; we’ve only had the packages for 60 days. We’ve still got a lot of people to convert.”

Chrysler sales fared among the worst in the industry during March even though it was the only one of the Big Six OEMs that dramatically increased its level of incentives during the month. Chrysler’s TCI, according to the Edmunds.com formula, averaged a whopping $4,142 per vehicle during March, pulling its generosity way above the mean for the rest of the industry — just as it was a year earlier. Chrysler’s TCI in February had been only $3,520, much more in line with the rest of the OEMs.

But it’s more important for Chrysler right now to tackle a potentially existential threat rather than gamely to attempt to stick with the type of long-term incentive-reduction strategy that has been embraced by each of the Detroit Three.

“We (must) have incentives that may intrigue consumers to come to the dealership and buy or lease a vehicle,” Landry said. “It’s not business as usual for consumers today. A lot of them will think it’s nice to see a regular incentive program, but we think a little extra is required to get the consumer to go out of their way to consider a major purchase such as a vehicle.”

So among incentives Chrysler has hatched for April is one aimed at consumers with what Landry called “B-tier credit.” Such potential customers are being offered cash rebates and vehicle loans carrying just 6.9 percent interest. That rate pales by comparison with the 0 percent rate Chrysler is offering “A-tier credit” customers on many 2008 models, but the new incentive for less-qualified consumers also contrasts nicely with rates of 12 percent and higher that, Landry said, they otherwise would have to pay.

It’s a way Chrysler can appeal to less-than-sterling credit risks who increasingly are being shut out by Chrysler Financial and by banks making auto loans. “There are a lot of consumers out there on B credit,” he said. “And if we know the person who’s on B credit — they have bought before from us, and haven’t reneged on any payments — we believe they should stay in our family.”

The Good
Chrysler had solid customer interest for its combined compact-vehicle lineup of the Dodge Caliber, Jeep Compass and Patriot. Combined, the three vehicles reached 21,909 buyers in March, an increase of 51 percent from March 2007. Each “value-oriented,” relatively fuel-efficient model had increased sales.

“Dealers are finding that customers coming in (for those vehicles) are first-time buyers,” Landry said. “And those who are looking for smaller payments are coming in with pickup trucks, Commanders and Grand Cherokees and downsizing to Liberty.”

Landry confronted the “rumor in the dealer world … that we were gong to cancel Compass,” stemming from Chrysler’s widely publicized plan to cull many models in the coming months and years. “We don’t have any (such) plans. It will be in our lineup for quite a while … Compass also does really well in international markets: It’s got a pretty good following and a great sales rate outside of North America.”

Sales increased 18 percent for Chrysler’s two new versions of its long-wheelbase minivans, Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan. Grand Caravan sales in March rose 8 percent over the same model a year earlier. Town & Country’s long-wheelbase model notched 32 percent more sales than a year earlier.

“We purposely put more amenities on our (new) minivans because that’s what the consumer research said to do,” Landry said. “We were kind of nervous to do it, but (the models) are proving that people do want a vehicle that is packaged better” in that segment.

The Bad
Just about every one of Chrysler’s traditional bread-and-butter products fared poorly. Jeep Wrangler sales, for instance, fell 36 percent in March and 31 percent for the quarter. Grand Cherokee sales were down 21 and 25 percent, respectively. Dodge Durango SUV sales fell by 38 percent in March and 37 percent for the quarter.

Dodge Ram sales fell 31 percent in March and 25 percent for the quarter. “Ninety percent of (heavy-duty) Rams are diesel, and with diesel prices at over $4 a gallon, we’re seeing a lot of pressure,” Landry said. Fortunately, because most customers use the biggest Ram models for construction and other business, “this type of situation usually creates a bit of pent-up demand that will come through later — hopefully, next month.”

TOYOTA

The decline for Toyota accelerated in March, with the company’s overall U.S. sales falling by 10 percent to 217,730 units. That was better than the Detroit Three, but for the entire quarter, Toyota sales fell only by 6 percent.

Among the significant threads in Toyota’s March results was the fact that its small, fuel-efficient cars, such as Yaris and Prius, continued to sell well. So did Camry, the sedan that seemed destined to continue its run for all of 2008 as America’s best-selling car.

On the other hand, Lexus passenger cars continued to struggle in March. And Toyota’s troubles with Corolla accelerated even though a brand-new version of the compact has just hit Toyota showrooms.

The Good
The Toyota Yaris subcompact sold 70 percent more cars in March than a year earlier and 58 percent more during the quarter. It seems increasingly likely Yaris — newer, smaller and more fuel-efficient — may be stealing sales from the venerable Corolla.

Prius, Toyota’s trail-blazing hybrid, enjoyed its second-best sales month ever, selling 20,635 units. Sales of the boxy and small Scion xB were up by healthy amounts for the month and quarter as well.

Many of Toyota’s large SUVs, impressively, are bucking the overall industry trend against sales of large, fuel-hungry vehicles. For example, sales of the new 2008 version of Sequoia, a traditionally big SUV, rose more than 11 percent in March and 13 percent for the quarter.

Also, Toyota’s year-old full-size pickup, Tundra, continues to gain ground despite the overall slump in its segment. In March, Tundra sales grew by about 8 percent compared with a year ago, and for the entire quarter they rose an impressive 40 percent.

The Bad
Sales by Toyota’s luxury division, Lexus, are bringing up the rear for the company so far this year — not a satisfactory performance considering that, during economic tough times, upscale brands generally fare better for longer.

Lexus sales declined by 14 percent for March and by 9 percent year to date. The brand’s sedans are the underperformers, with Lexus car sales plunging 18 percent in March and 15 percent for the entire quarter. Meanwhile, sales of Lexus SUVs and crossovers were about flat for both periods.

The new 2009 Corolla is struggling right out of the gate, providing another indication that perhaps this 40-year-old Toyota brand finally has turned hoary despite the just-introduced new U.S. version. Corolla sales fell 27 percent in March to 25,109 units, its worst showing for that month since 2004.

Meanwhile, sales of the Toyota RAV4, a small SUV, slumped an alarming 27 percent for the month and 17 percent for the year to date. “This is while other small SUVs such as Honda CR-V and Ford Escape are doing well in this economy,” noted Jessica Caldwell, a sales analyst for Edmunds.com. “Maybe RAV4 is just too big as Toyota’s smallest SUV.”

HONDA

Honda turned in the best relative sales performance of the U.S. Big Six for March and for the first quarter. But it was a telling sign indeed that Honda’s superior achievement amounted to a 3 percent sales dip for the month, to 143,392 units, and flat results for the year to date.

Nevertheless, Dick Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda, had it essentially right when he said, “The Honda product portfolio is adapting well to the current direction of the marketplace. People are clearly being more strategic with their money as parts of the economy seek balance and other parts adjust to record-high gasoline prices.”

Honda’s lineup skews strongly toward small vehicles, of course, and that helped turn most of its Honda-brand vehicles into winners. Significantly, the new Accord introduced last fall finally began demonstrating some sales momentum.

Unfortunately, March’s results also underscored the disappointing fact that Honda still hasn’t figured out what to do with its Acura luxury division. Long ago outstripped by Lexus in sales, innovation and consumer perceptions, Acura sales for the month declined by a stunning 22 percent and, for the quarter, by 14 percent.

“If it weren’t for Acura,” said Edmunds.com’s Caldwell, “Honda would be doing extremely well, even in this negative economic environment.”

Critics have assailed the 2008 Accord as being too aggressively styled and just maybe, long in the tooth. Sales results since the car’s debut last fall lent substance to those suspicions. But Honda executives have been saying most consumers actually like its new design and that Accord’s biggest problem has been demand for its V6 engine, which was outstripping Honda's initial projections for the option and, therefore, supply of the powertrain.

March’s results may have begun to prove Honda, and not Accord critics, correct. In its best monthly showing since the old model last August, Accord picked up some steam in March and sold 36,214 units — a result that was flat with a year earlier but which showed some new momentum, as sales for the entire first quarter declined five percent.

Honda’s other old-line model, the smaller Civic, posted its best March ever, outselling rival Corolla by 7,631 units despite Corolla's being a new model. The Honda CR-V crossover continued its positive sales momentum for the quarter. And the Fit posted its best month since the subcompact went on sale in April 2006; the subcompact sold 6,835 units, up more than 60 percent compared with a year ago.

The Bad
Acura simply continues to flounder. Each of its vehicles posted a sales decrease in March and for the entire quarter, including the handsome MDX, a crossover vehicle that is having trouble maintaining its footing despite generally rising sales for the segment.

Among the rare bad results for a Honda-brand vehicle was the performance of Pilot, the crossover whose March sales declined by 20 percent. Of course, Honda dealers are clearing out 2008 Pilots to make room for a redesigned — though still large and boxy — 2009 version due out later this year.

NISSAN

Nissan nearly matched Honda’s ability to keep its head basically above water during March. The company’s U.S. sales declined 4 percent in March, to 106,921 units, and 3 percent for the entire quarter.

Sales of Nissan division cars surged by 10 percent in March and rose slightly for the quarter. However, sales by the company’s Infiniti luxury division were only flat for both the month and quarter.

The Good
March was a record month for the Altima sedan, Nissan’s bread-and-butter car, with sales2008_nissan_altima_240 of 27,085 units, and Altima coupe, which sold 3,492 units.

Nissan’s smaller cars fared well, too. After lagging for the first two months of 2008, sales of the company’s venerable Sentra compact caught fire in March, rising by 13 percent and pulling Sentra’s results to even for the entire quarter. March sales were the best for Sentra for any month since June.

Also, sales of Nissan’s much-newer Versa, a small yet roomy car, rose smartly, by 25 percent, for March. It outsold the comparable Honda Fit by 1,357 units.

Infiniti added 1,452 units of incremental sales from its new EX, the first month during which the sleek crossover sold more than 1,000 units.

The Bad
Despite healthy incentives, sales of Nissan trucks and large SUVs fell considerably in March2008_nissan_titan_240 and for the entire quarter. The worst performer was the Titan pickup, whose sales fell by nearly half from March 2007 and by nearly 40 percent for the quarter. The overall slump in U.S. pickup sales is one factor, and presumably Titan is battling rather directly with Toyota’s surging Tundra pickup.

The Infiniti G sedan saw its sales dip by more than 13 percent during the first quarter despite the success of its coupe variant, which saw sales nearly double during the first quarter compared with a year ago.

MAZDA

Mazda reported U.S. sales of 32,929 vehicles, down 12.8 percent from last March, which was Mazda’s best March in history. For the quarter, Mazda’s sales are off a scant 1.8 percent.

Mazda sales reflect the continued shift in consumer taste to smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles with the freshened Mazda5 having its best month ever with sales of 2,758 units, a 66.4-percent increase over a year ago.

The CX-9, which was named North American Truck of the Year and Motor Trend's 2008 Sport/Utility of the Year, reported a 9.7 percent increase in sales with 2,679 units sold. Tribute sales are also up substantially – 66.6 percent for the month and 141.5 percent for the quarter.

The rest of Mazda’s line reported declines. The Mazda3’s blistering sales pace of last year and especially in March slowed as sales dropped 19.0 percent for March and were down 15.1 percent for the quarter. Miata sales are off by about a quarter. CX-7 sales dipped, and, in keeping with slumping industry truck sales, the Mazda B-Series truck was off by a third in March and by 57.8 percent for the quarter.

For all of North America, Mazda sales totaled 43,496 vehicles for the month. Mazda Canada, Inc. and Mazda Motor de Mexico both reported best-ever March sales with increases of 11.7 percent and 12.0 percent respectively.

MITSUBISHI

Mitsubishi said it sold 10,750 vehicles in March, down 14.2 percent from a year ago.

The Galant was the volume leader at 2,676 sales, up 26.6 percent from last year’s March. The Lancer closed the month at 2,514 sales, up 32.7 percent from a year ago. Both models had their best first quarter in three years.

Mitsubish provided no more detail on its March or quarterly sales.

SUBARU

Subaru of America Inc. reported a 17-percent decline in March sales of 16,685 total units. Subaru said fleet deliveries were lower than a year ago, and will be made up later in the year, while retail sales rose 1 percent.

The Impreza and Legacy models saw double-digit gains for the month. The Outback and Tribeca experienced double-digit declines. The Forester had lower sales as well; the freshened 2009 model is just arriving in dealerships.

HYUNDAI

Hyundai announced record sales of 42,796 March for a 2-percent increase over the year-ago March, which also set a record.

The redesigned Sonata, built at Hyundai’s Alabama plant, posted a 7-percent increase over last March. The Accent, Elantra and Azera had double-digit increases in March as well. Except for Sonata, which was selling down the old model as Hyundai prepped the new version, sales of those models were up for the quarter as well.

In contrast, except for the Veracruz, which was just introduced last year, Hyundai’s SUV and minivan sales were down significantly for March and the quarter. Hyundai sold less than half of the number of Entourage minivans in March and the quarter. Santa Fe and Tucson sales were off substantially as well.

KIA

Kia Motors America posted March sales of 24,871 vehicles, down 11 percent from a year ago; year-to-date sales were 68,214 vehicles, down 7.9 percent.

Kia said the Spectra and Rio had their best selling months of the year with 8,022 and 3,514 units sold respectively. Both the Spectra and Rio as well as the Rondo had higher sales for the month and quarter.

However, every other Kia vehicle had declines, in some cases particularly substantial declines. Kia sold a scant 173 Amanti sedans in March and only 556 for the year so far, compared with more than 2,700 a year ago. Kia is selling less than half of the Sorento SUVs it sold a year ago.

AUDI

Audi of America said its March sales totaled 7,987 vehicles, a decrease of 0.4 percent from last March. To date, Audi has sold 20,557 vehicles in 2008, a 2.2 percent decrease over the previous year.

Still, sales of the A4 rose 26.8 percent for the month over last year; sales of the TT soared an awesome 443.7 percent, but its sales numbers are small. Audi sold 473 in March compared with 87 in March a year ago. For the year, TT sales stood at 1,125 compared with 296 a year ago.

Audi Q7 sales were off by about a third for the month and the year. Likewise, for the Audi A4 and S4 convertibles. A8 and S8 sales were down more than 30 percent for March and about 20 percent for the year.

Sales of certified pre-owned Audis set a new record – 3,283 in March for a 35.2-percent increase over the year-ago March, putting total pre-owned sales at 8,896 for the year, 42.9 percent ahead of 2007.

BMW/MINI

The BMW Group, which includes the BMW and Mini brands, reported March sales of 27,404 vehicles, down 5.4 percent from the 28,980 vehicles sold in the same month of 2007. For the first quarter of 2008, BMW Group sales are down 9.2 percent to 68,529 vehicles versus the 75,433 sold in the first three months of
2007.

BMW said its lower sale are in line with expectations but the German automaker expects stronger sales in the second half of the year as it brings new products to the U.S. market, including the BMW 1 Series coupe and convertible, the BMW X6 sports activity coupe, the BMW M3 coupe, sedan and convertible and the twin-turbo diesel engines for the 3-Series and X5. Plus Mini just added the Clubman last month.

BMW brand sales were down 8.7 percent to 23,115 vehicles in March. Year-to-date, BMW sales totaled 58,365 vehicles, down 13.4 percent. BMW’s car sales increased in March though they are down nearly 11 percent for the quarter. SUV sales were down 41 percent for the month and nearly 23 percent for the quarter.

Mini sold 4,289 cars in March for a 17.3 percent increase. Quarterly sales hit 10,164 for an increase of 25.9 percent.

BMW’s certified pre-owned sales soared 22.5 percent in March to 9,600 units; they stood at 25, 224 for the quarter, up 32.7 percent.


MERCEDES-BENZ

Despite a sales dip in March, Mercedes-Benz closed the first quarter with the highest quarterly sales in the company’s history. The new C-Class led the charge.

Mercedes sold 20,808 vehicles in March, down 3.7 percent from 21, 612 from March a year ago. For the quarter, Mercedes sold a record 57,647 vehicles, up 2.9 percent from 55,985 in March 2007.

Mercedes sold 6,713 units of the volume-leading C-Class model line, compared with 4,486 C-Class cars -- a 49.6-percent gain. For the quarter, the C-Class showed the biggest sales increase. Mercedes sold 17,141 C-Class models, up 39.6 percent gains from 12,282 units.

Sales of the CL coupe were slightly above last March with nearly a 1-percent increase. CLS-Class sales grew 16.4 percent.

However, sales of Mercedes bigger and some of its more expensive cars tumbled. Sales of the E-, S-, SL-, CLK- and SLK-Classes were down double digits for the month and the quarter. Decreases ranged from 18 percent to as high as 43 percent.

In the SUV segment, M-Class sales jumped 21.8 percentin March. Sales of the M-Class rose 28.5 percent.

Sales of Mercedes’ larger, more expensive SUVs – the R-, GL- and G-Class nosedived by double digits in March; pushing quarterly sales lower.

Mercedes-Benz sold 5,110 certified pre-owned vehicles in March, bringing first quarter sales to 13,251 units, a 4.3 percent increase over the same period last year.

Daimler also sold 1,734 smart cars in March; the smart fortwo went on sale in January. So far, 3,476 smart cars have been sold. The automaker says it has orders for more than 30,000 smart cars; it has 67 dealerships in operation.

Mercedes and Smart combined put total Daimler sales in the U.S. at 22,542 vehicles.

PORSCHE

Porsche got socked by the economic slump in March as even its wealthy buyers went bargain shopping, buying used Porsches and the lower-priced Cayenne GTS instead of the spanking new expensive models.

Porsche reported it sold 2,467 vehicles in the U.S. in March, a 25-percent drop from the 3,278 cars sold in March 2007, which was a record month for Porsche.

Porsche’s sales of its 911 models plummeted a whopping 76 percent in March to 773 units, compared with 1,363 sold in March last year; 911 sales are down 53 percent for the year so far.

Porsche’s sales of the Boxster and Cayman models were sliced nearly in half. March sales totaled 525 units of the two models, down 97 percent from 1,036 a year ago. Their year-to-date sales are off 35 percent.

Strong Cayenne sales kept Porsche afloat. Due to the February introduction of Cayenne GTS, an upgraded version of the standard model but slightly cheaper at $69,300, Porsche sold 1,169 Cayenne models in March, a 33-percent increase over the previous March. Cayenne sales are up 11 percent for the year to date.

Sales of certified pre-owned Porsches were up for the month and are up for the year so far.

VOLKSWAGEN

Volkswagen bucked the industry trend by reporting a double-digit increase in sales, lifting VW to its best month since August 2007. Double-digit increases in Jetta and Passat sales buoyed the German automaker.

Volkswagen reported sales of 19,587 vehicles for March, a 12.9-percent increase over the 17,335 vehicles sold in March 2007. So far this year, Volkswagen sales are 0.4 percent ahead of 2007 sales.

For the month, sales of every model by the New Beetle coupe, Rabbit and GTI were up, led by Jetta and Passat.

Volkswagen’s volume seller, the Jetta, posted a 19.7-percent increase for the month and 1.7 percent for the year so far. Passat sales were 13 percent ahead of year-ago totals for March and roughly flat for the year to date.

Perhaps a sign of spring, sales of the New Beetle convertible sales, down 21.6 percent for the year so far, were up 14.1 percent. March was the best sales month for Eos since June 2007 with sales up 16.7 percent for the month and 23.5 percent for the year.

Tourag sales were up 5.4 percent; but are down 22.8 percent for the year. New Beetle Coupe sales were off 8.6 percent for the month and 4.5 percent for the quarter. Rabbit sales were down 4.6 percent for the month, but up 10 percent for the year.



March Sales: No Denying the Slump Is Real - AutoObserver


M
 
Recession? ... what recession? :t-hands:

So most automotive manufacturers have been in the red this month compared to the same period last year... it's not as though they're crumbling at the knees.

Lexus still pushing out nearly 25,000 sales a month, BMW getting over 23,000 this month... no reason to worry about a recession... just a little bit of slowdown, nothing major. :)


I'm impressed by your optimistic view, Beemer (;)) but there is a serious possibility that US will face a recession this year. The fact that the Fed had to take extraordinary measures (some of which haven't been used since the 1930's) to calm down the markets and save other banks from the fate of Bear Sterns tells about the severity of the situation.

Currently it looks like this year will be very tough for car makers:
Figures from all the major car makers yesterday showed sales in March were down in double-digit percentages compared with a year ago, and industry executives said 2008 is on course to be the US's worst year for sales in 15 years.

Car firms suffer double-digit falls in US sales - Business News, Business - The Independent

It's also worth to note that last year GM posted $38.7 billion loss which is the biggest loss ever for an automaker. (GM posts record loss of $38.7 billion for 2007 - International Herald Tribune)
Ford reported a $2.7 billion loss for 2007 and aims to be profitable in 2009 at earliest.
 

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