BTW, Mike, 2015 was the best year EVER for auto sales in the American market. Here's an article from the Wall Street Journal. You can either keep it here if you want, or move it and start a new thread.
(And, of course, what is even more remarkable is that it includes the effect of the last 3-4 months of the VW scandal).
http://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-car-sales-poised-for-their-best-month-ever-1451999939
U.S. car sales hit an annual record, clearing a previous peak reached in 2000 as lower gas prices and interest rates spurred consumers to snap up vehicles from dealerships.
Auto makers sold 17.5 million light-duty cars and trucks in the U.S. in 2015, a 6% increase from a year earlier and topping the 17.4 million sold in 2000. Nearly every car company posted strong December results, taking advantage of two additional selling days and warm weather to cap off the year.
General Motors Co., the nation’s largest auto maker said its deliveries to dealers for the month rose 5.7% to 290,230 vehicles, bolstered by strong demand for its Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup trucks.
For the full year, GM said retail sales increased 8% from 2014 at 3.1 million vehicles.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV on Tuesday posted a 13% gain for the month to 217,527 vehicles, extending the Italian-U.S. auto maker’s sales gains streak to 69 months. Jeep brand sales soared 42% for their best month ever, helping the auto maker to its best month of sales in 90 years.
Its Cherokee, Compass and Renegade models individually reporting their best month of sales overall, and the Wrangler and Patriot recording their best December sales ever.
Its Ram brand sales overall were up 4% in December, but its pickup truck sales declined 2% compared with the same month a year earlier.
The auto maker said its full-year sales rose 7% to 2.24 million vehicles. It finished the year with an 81-day supply of unsold vehicles.
Ford Motor Co. reported its sales increased 8.3% to 237,606 vehicles for the Detroit auto maker’s best December. Sales of F-Series pickups rose above 85,000 for a 10-year high, and Ford brand sport-utility vehicle sales saw their best December since 2003.
For the full year, Ford’s U.S. sales rose 5.3% to 2.61 million vehicles. Its Lincoln luxury brand MKC and Navigator sport-utility vehicles contributed to the increase, pushing Lincoln’s overall sales up 7.1% to 101,227 vehicles despite a decline in Lincoln sedan sales.
Japanese auto makers also contributed to the month’s robust results, rolling out double-digit percentage increases over the year-ago period.
Toyota Motor Corp. said two additional selling days helped lift its new-car sales in the U.S. 11% to 238,350 vehicles. The Japanese auto maker also recorded its best-ever light-truck sales.
Honda Motor Co. reported U.S. sales rose 9.9% to 150,893 in December for an all-time annual sales record. Honda and Acura brand truck sales also set a record for annual sales, which rose 9.7%.
Nissan Motor Co. pushed out a December record with an 19% leap to 139,300 vehicles sold. Its crossovers, trucks and SUVs set a record for the month, rising a combined 41%.
With the auto industry in full throttle,
Volkswagen AG’s emissions scandal weighed on its sales again, with the company posting a 9.1% drop to 30,956 vehicles sold in the U.S. On Monday, the U.S. Justice Department sued the embattled German auto maker, seeking billions of dollars in penalties in the wake of allegations it installed “defeat” devices to dupe emissions tests in diesel-powered vehicles sold in the U.S.
December has become an important selling month with year-end targets and holiday sales, according to auto researcher Kelley Blue Book. The firm estimates new-vehicle sales in December rose 13% to 1.7 million units for a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 18 million for the fourth consecutive month.
“As we move into the new year, expect this strength to continue, although at a slower rate than this year,” said Kelley Blue Book analyst Tim Fleming.
Increased interest rates, a glut of off-lease units lowering used-car prices and rising manufacturer incentive spending could stem new-car sales momentum.
Kelley Blue Book estimates the average transaction price for light vehicles in December climbed $297 to $34,428, or less than 1% from the same month last year as luxury sales rose to total more than 15% of the market.
The month caps a year of roaring sales of larger, pricier vehicles amid cheap fuel, low interest rates and a healthier economy.
“It’s truly remarkable that the auto industry is finishing off its best year ever just six years after the depths of the Great Recession,” Edmunds.com auto analyst Jessica Caldwell said.
Still, investors seemingly put little stock in the numbers on Tuesday as shares for GM and Ford fell as much as 4.8% and 3.5% in morning trading Tuesday.