By the Numbers: February 2008

February 2008 will go down as the ugliest sales month ever in the history of By the Numbers posts. Out of the 35 brands we track, only four improved their daily average sales rate versus the same month last year: Honda (1.9%), Mazda (2.5%), Mercedes-Benz (3%) and our Biggest Winner, MINI (38.5%). Leap year is to blame, as the rare return of February 29th offered most automakers an extra to day to suck.

The big companies themselves fared just as poorly, with every multi-brand automaker except for one down in February compared to last year. Only Honda America scraped together a positive month, increasing its daily average sales rate 0.7% overall.

NOTE: There were 25 selling days in February 2008 versus 24 selling days in February 2007. As such, all percentages represent the change in daily average sales rate rather than the difference in raw number of units sold.

Biggest Winner
MINI 38.5% at 3,415 (2/07: 2,368)

Biggest Loser
Saturn –36.1% at 14,801 (2/07: 22,225)

BRANDS
Acura –8.0% at 13,084 (2/07: 13,658)
Audi –10.6% at 6,152 (2/07: 6,609)
BMW –10.5% at 20,775 (2/07: 22,274)
Buick –18.9% at 12,768 (2/07: 15,108)
Cadillac –2.1% at 14,420 (2/07:14,142)
Chevrolet –14.7% at 166,166 (2/07: 187,088)
Chrysler –13.2% at 41,709 (2/07: 46,112)
Dodge –19.35 at 76,141 (2/07: 90,618)
Ford –8.9% at 164,915 (2/07: 173,794)
GMC –22.7% at 33,237 (2/07: 41,279)
Honda 1.9% at 102,313 (2/07: 96,368)
HUMMER –22.7% at 3,362 (2/07: 4,177)
Hyundai –13.5% at 31,090 (2/07: 34,500)
Infiniti –0.4% at 10,068 (2/07: 9,704)
Jaguar –14.3% at 1,063 (2/07: 1,191)
Jeep –18% at 32,243 (2/07: 37,776)
Kia –10.2% at 21,988 (2/07: 23,512)
Land Rover –12.9% at 2,819 (2/07: 3,106)
Lexus –9.3% at 21,277 (2/07: 22,518)
Lincoln –14.6% at 9,573 (2/07:
Mazda 2.5% at 23,548 (2/07: 22,060)
Mercedes 3% at 18,564 (2/07: 17,304)
Mercury –25% at 10,806 (2/07: 13,843)
MINI 38.5% at 3,415 (2/07: 2,368)
Mitsubishi –10.1% at 9,105 (2/07: 9,726)
Nissan –3.2% at 76,151 (2/07: 75,514)
Pontiac –6.5% at 23,935 (2/07: 24,563)
Porsche –16.3% at 1,715 (2/07: 1,967)
Saab –25% at 1,734 (2/07: 2,221)
Saturn –36.1% at 14,801 (2/07: 22,225)
Subaru –3.8% at 12,907 (2/07: 12,875)
Suzuki –1.6% at 8,800 (2/07: 8,585)
Toyota –6.3% at 160,892 (2/07: 164,812)
Volkswagen –2.9% at 16,556 (2/07: 16,367)
Volvo –14.8% at 7,505 (2/07: 8,453)

COMPANIES
BMW Group –5.8% at 24,190 (2/07: 24,642)
Chrysler Group –17.4% at 150,093 (2/07: 174,506)
Ford Motor Co –10.6% at 196,681 (2/07: 211,150)
General Motors –16.7% at 270,423 (2/07: 311,763)
Honda America 0.7% at 115,397 (2/07: 110,026)
Nissan North America –2.9% at 86,219 (2/07: 85,218)
Toyota Motor Co. –6.6% at 182,169 (2/07: 187,330)