The sales of the three major car companies in the United States, including Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F), General Motor Company (NYSE:GM), and Chrysler, reported strong sales performances for the month of August.
Ford Motor Company’s sales jumped by 13 percent, after selling 197, 249 vehicles in August, compared with its sales result during the same period last year. Its retail sales were also 19 percent more than the previous year.
The company sold 28,188 Ford Escapes, 37 percent higher than its sales in 2011, while Ford Fusion, Focus, and F-Series also increased by 21 percent, 35 percent, and 19 percent respectively. The company sold 21,690 Fusion vehicles, 19,073 Focus vehicles, and 15,201 F-series automobiles in August.
In a statement, Ken Czubay, Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) vice president, U.S. Marketing, Sales, and Service, said a growing number of consumers preferred fuel-efficient vehicles as gasoline prices hiked in August. He said, “Customers increasingly value savings at the pump, and Ford is answering the call with a full family of vehicles with leading fuel-efficiency, and the power to choose which vehicle best meets their needs.”
Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) said its production for the fourth quarter increased by 7 percent to 725,000 vehicles. The company added a third crew at the Louisville assembly plant in August to meet the demand for new Escape small utility vehicles.
General Motors sold a total of 240,520 vehicles, a 10 percent increased compared with its sales during the month of August last year. Its retail sales were up by 11 percent, which makes the month of August its best retail month in 2012.
The company attributed its sales growth for the month to its extensive national advertisements during the Olympic Games. The four General Motor Company (NYSE:GM) brands including Chevrolet, GMC, Buick, and Cadillac reported strong performance in August.
According to the General Motor Company (NYSE:GM), Chevrolet, with Spark, Sonic, Cruze, and Volt posted the best monthly sales in August, up by 25 percent, while the Chevrolet Equinox posted a 22 percent sales growth.
Kurt McNeil, Vice president of U.S. Sales Operation of GM said, Chevrolet communicated a message of confidence to consumers during the summer, as they saw the transformation of the company’s product line up. He said, “All four of our brands are building momentum behind new products, so we’re very well positioned as the economy continues to slowly improve.”
GM sold 169,978 Chevrolet vehicles, 37,838 GMC, 18,000 Buick, and 14,704 Cadillac in August. The company has an inventory of 687,354 total vehicles as of August 31, 2012.
Meanwhile, Chrysler Group’s 14 percent sales growth for the month of August is the 29th consecutive month of sales gain for the company year over year. The company sold a total of 148, 472 vehicles last August.
Its brands including Chryslers, Jeep, Dodge, Ram Truck, and Fiat. Sales were up in August. The Chrysler brand sales were up by 25 percent, Ram Truck rose by 18 percent, Dodge climbed by 13 percent, and the Fiat brand rose by 34 percent.
In a statement, Reid Bigland, president and CEO of Chrysler’s Dodge Brand, and Head of U.S. Sales, said, “Our hard work over the past few years is starting to pay some dividends in our sales growth, quality awards, and profitability. Not to mention, an incredibly resilient U.S. new vehicle sales industry doesn’t hurt either.”
By the end August, Chrysler had an inventory 362,407 vehicles.
