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There were about three million fewer cars sold in 2008 than 2007. Based on 2007's numbers, it would be the same as if Acura, Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Lexus, MINI, Porsche, and Saab all closed their doors in 2008. In terms of pure automotive carnage, that's not the kind of damage you can just buff out. And the predictions for the future agree on two points: it's going to get worse, and it won't return to what it was for years to come.

The only difference in the predictions of gloom is exactly how long things are going to stay depressed. Everyone agrees that the vertiginous sales drop in Q4 of 2008 is going to continue at least until the middle of 2009. Some, though, think that 2009 will "look a lot like 2008, but in reverse," with a slight sales rebound possible in the latter half. That prediction depends on the size of the proposed economic stimulus package, and whether it actually stimulates the economy. After all, banks received their own stimulus packages, yet getting a loan is as hard as ever.

Others say we are "entering a prolonged period of conservation." One analyst predicts that U.S. car sales won't see the north side of 15 million in annual sales until "2012 or later," while another said that we won't see 16 million annual sales again "for the forseeable future." Naturally, with such conservation comes other cuts, like R&D budgets and model facelifts, that could mean the cars on offer won't be as interesting or as cutting edge as before. While that could be looked at as a benefit, saving manufacturers the need to put new redesigned cars in showrooms every three years, the necessary auto industry infrastructure changes (plant closers, layoffs, etc.), the certain extinction of some companies, and the uncertain future are going to hurt.

[Source: IHT]

U.S. car sales in the doldrums to infinity until 2012 and beyond originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto industryauto salesauto sales 2007auto sales 2008auto sales 2009AutoIndustryAutoSalesAutoSales2007AutoSales2008AutoSales2009car buyingCarBuyingearningsfinancialsus auto salesUsAutoSalesWed, 07 Jan 2009 17:34:00 EST<![CDATA[By the Numbers: 2007]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/03/by-the-numbers-2007/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/03/by-the-numbers-2007/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/03/by-the-numbers-2007/#commentsFiled under: ,

Toyota passes Ford as second largest automaker in the U.S.; Mazda grows the most in 2007

The final sales numbers for 2007 are in, and to be honest, they're better than we expected. Of the 34 brands we track sales, 19 showed an improvement in their daily average sales rate last year. The majority of those that didn't, we're sad to say, are either domestic U.S. brands or brands that are owned by a domestic U.S. automaker.

Big ups to Mazda, though, which won our coveted Biggest Winner of the Year honor by growing its daily average sales rate 9.8% and selling nearly 300,000 vehicles. We can't say we're surprised that Jaguar is our Biggest Loser of the Year after posting daily average sales rate that fell 24.4% last year. We'd also like to call out Jeep for posting a 3.0% improvement thanks to the hot-selling Wrangler Unlimited, as well as Lincoln, which, despite all odds, increased its daily average sales rate by 8.8% and sold an additional 11,000 vehicles last year. There are other plenty of other proud automakers in the list below we don't have room (or time) to mention.

Of course, the biggest news in auto sales for 2007 is that Ford Motor Company was supplanted by Toyota Motor Company as the second largest automaker in the U.S. Toyota sold 2,620,825 units in 2007 compared to Ford's 2,572,599. We weren't all that impressed with ToMoCo's final tally of a 2.7% daily average sales rate increase, but that's all it needed after Ford posted a 12.7% decrease. General Motors, of course, is still well ahead of both with 3,866,620 units sold, while Chrysler could be breathing down Ford's neck with 2,076,650 sales if we expected that number would increase in 2008, which we don't.

Note that there were 307 selling days last year compared to 306 selling days in 2006, so the figures below represent the change in daily average sales rate (average number of vehicles sold per day) and not the change in raw number of units sold.

Biggest Winner of the Year
Mazda 9.8% at 296,110 (2006: 268,786)

Biggest Loser of the Year
Jaguar -24.4% at 15,683 (2006: 20,683)

BRANDS
Acura-10.8% at 180,104 (2006: 201,223)
Audi 3.4% at 93,506 (2006: 90,116)
BMW 6.7% at 293,795 (2006: 274,432)
Buick -23% at 185,791 (2006: 240,657)
Cadillac -5.7% at 214,726 (2006: 227,014)
Chevrolet -6.5% at 2,265,641 (2006: 2,415,428)
Chrysler -10.5% at 543,011 (2006: 604,874)
Dodge -2.1% at 1,058,402 (2006: 1,077,579)
Ford -13.9% at 2,101,244 (2006: 2,433,086)
GMC 4.8% at 505,746 (12/06: 481,222)
Honda 4.5% at 1,371,438 (2006: 1,308,135)
HUMMER -22% at 55,986 (2006: 71,524)
Hyundai 2.2% at 467,009 (2006: 455,520)
Infiniti 4.5% at 127,038 (2006: 121,146)
Jaguar -24.4% at 15,683 (2006: 20,683)
Jeep 3.0% at 475,237 (2006: 460,052)
Kia 3.5% at 305,473 (2006: 294,302)
Land Rover 3.4% at 49,550 (2006: 47,774)
Lexus 1.8% at 329,177 (2006: 322,434)
Lincoln 8.8% at 131,487 (2006: 120,476)
Mazda 9.8% at 296,110 (2006: 268,786)
Mercedes 1.8% at 253,433 (2006: 248,080)
Mercury -7.2% at 168,422 (2006: 180,848)
MINI 7.0% at 42,045 (2006: 39,171)
Nissan 4.5% at 941,200 (2006: 898,103)
Pontiac -13% at 358,022 (2006: 410,229)
Porsche 1.0% at 34,693 (2006: 34,227)
Saab -10.3% at 32,711 (2006: 36,349)
Saturn 5.7% at 240,091 (2006: 226,375)
Subaru -7.0% at 187,208 (2006: 200,703)
Suzuki 0.6% at 101,884 (2006: 100,990)
Toyota 2.9% at 2,291,648 (2006: 2,220,090)
Volkswagen -2.3 at 230,572 (2006: 235,140)
Volvo -8.6% at 106,213 (2006: 115,807)

NA: Mitsubishi

COMPANIES
BMW Group 6.7% at 335,840 (2006: 313,603)
Chrysler Group -3.4% at 2,076,650 (2006: 2,142,505)
Ford Motor Co -12.1% at 2,572,599 (2006: 2,918,674)
General Motors -6.5% at 3,866,620 (2006: 4,124,645)
Honda America 2.5% at 1,551,542 (2006: 1,509,358)
Nissan North America 4.5% at 1,068,238 (2006: 1,019,249)
Toyota Motor Co. 2.7% at 2,620,825 (2006: 2,542,524)

By the Numbers: 2007 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Jan 2008 17:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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