US Auto sales up 0.4 percent in 2005

By Dale Jewett, Automotive News

Detroit, Michigan -- US car sales hit 16.9 million in 2005, slightly up on 2004. The big news is that Chevrolet brand out-sold Ford, putting Ford into second place for the first time in 19 years. Nissan also sold more than 1 million units for the first time.

As Ford Division's truck sales fell dramatically in 2005, Chevrolet unseated its rival as the top-selling U.S. brand for the first time in 19 years.

Ford's car sales actually grew in 2005, but the division's truck sales fell 189,932 units. Final tally for 2005: Chevrolet, 2,651,124; Ford Division, 2,634,041.

U.S. auto sales totaled 16,912,554 units in 2005, up a scant 0.4 percent from 2004.

But General Motors and Ford Motor saw full-year sales drop 4.3 percent and 5.0 percent, respectively, for the year.

Conversely, Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. saw its U.S. sales grow 9.7 percent last year to 2,260,296 units, while America Honda Motor Co.'s sales rose 4.9 percent to 1,462,472 units. DaimlerChrysler's U.S. sales, including Mercedes-Benz, rose 4.2 percent to 2,529,254 units for 2005.

Nissan North America notched more than 1 million U.S. sales in a calendar year for the first time in its history, even as December sales fell 1.1 percent from December 2004 to 91,253 units. For the full year, Nissan and Infiniti sales totaled 1,076,669.

Also among the gainers for 2005 was the Hyundai Group, including the Kia brand, which posted a 6.1 percent gain to 730,863 units.

Sales in December totaled 1,477,595 units, down 3.9 percent from December 2004. The month's sales total translated into a seasonally adjusted sales rate of 17,796,847 units.

Chevy edges out Ford

The sales race between Ford and Chevrolet was closely watched and a bragging point for Chevy dealers.

It was the first time since 1986 that Chevrolet has been the top-selling brand in the United States. It beat Ford by 17,084 units after holding a 9,318-unit lead on Dec. 1.

Last year, Ford beat Chevrolet by 18,801 units.

There was just a bit of trash talking after the results were known.

"We're thrilled that consumers voted with their pocketbook and made Chevrolet the number one U.S. brand in 2005," said Mark LaNeve, GM's vice president of North America Vehicle Sales, Service and Marketing, in a statement. "But we're not going to spend time celebrating this accomplishment. We're headed right back to the important business of introducing 19 new vehicles this year and providing buyers with an industry-leading sales and service experience."

Meanwhile, Mark Fields, president of the Americas at Ford Motor, responded at the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show: "We won't chase after spurious sales crowns that don't matter to the consumer."

Both GM, Ford lose

Aside from the Chevrolet-Ford showdown, the top two U.S. automakers had a down year in 2005.

GM's full-year U.S. sales, including Saab, totaled 4,454,385 units, down 4.3 percent from 2004. In December, GM's sales were down 10.3 percent from December 2004 to 384,620 units despite a promotional push from its Red Tag Sale.

Sales for Ford Motor, which includes Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo, totaled 3,153,781 units in 2005, down 5.0 percent from 2004. December sales were 266,125 units, down 9.1 percent from December 2004, despite its own year-end incentive program.

Ford Motor affiliate Mazda saw its U.S. sales fall 8.2 percent in December to 19,156 units, compared with the same month a year earlier. For all of 2005, Mazda sold 258,399 vehicles in the United States, down 2.1 percent from 2004's total.

Toyota narrows gap on DaimlerChrysler

DaimlerChrysler held onto the No. 3 spot in U.S. sales for the year, but Toyota Motor Sales narrowed the gap. At the end of 2004, DaimlerChrysler lead Toyota by 367,585 units. At the end of 2005, that lead had shrunk to 268,958 units, a difference of 98,627 units.

December was a down month for DaimlerChrysler, as sales fell 2.3 percent from a year earlier to 220,671 units.

BMW saw its December sales fall 1.3 percent from the same month a year earlier, to 28,940 units. But the German luxury automaker's sales for 2005 grew 3.7 percent to 307,465 units. BMW's sales include the Mini and Rolls-Royce brands.

The Volkswagen group, which includes the Audi and Bentley brands, saw its sales rise 18.5 percent in December to 35,377 units. But for the year overall, group sales totaled 310,915 units, down 7.6 percent from 2004.

Japanese automaker Subaru posted sales of 19,919 units in December, up 3.1 percent from December 2004. For all of 2005, Subaru's sales totaled 196,002 units, up 4.6 percent from a year earlier.

Porsche said its December sales rose 6.2 percent from a year earlier to 2,861 units. For all of 2005, Porsche's U.S. sales rose 1.5 percent to 31,933 units.

The sales falloff continued at Isuzu. The Japanese automaker, partially owned by GM, sold 839 units in December, down 50.1 percent from U.S. sales in December 2004. For the full year, Isuzu's sales fell 55.2 percent to 12,177 units.

From Automotive News (A Crain publication)