Per-dealer sales: Fiat high, Chrysler low
Fiat had higher sales per dealer than any domestic Chrysler brand, despite having a single model to sell. On average, in September, dealers sold 40 cars for the month.
Fiat 500s start at $16,000 including destination charge, well equipped, but there are many options, and the $18,000 Sport appears to be more popular than the entry level Pop. This is slightly below Mini’s 41 cars per dealer for the month.
The next best Chrysler Group brand is Dodge, including Ram trucks, with 31 sales per month for September. Jeep came in at 17, and Chrysler at 11. Since nearly all Chrysler Group dealerships now sell all three brands, the total would be 59 vehicles for September. In contrast, Toyota/Scion dealerships sold 86, Nissan sold 80, and Honda sold 77. Ford and Lincoln together totaled 57, while Chevrolet, Buick, and Cadillac totaled 62.
The lowest non-luxury marques were Smart, Lincoln, and Buick, each with 6 cars on average, followed by Suzuki, with 7. Cadillac jointed Chrysler with 11.
Chrysler ended the month with 54 days’ of inventory on the lots. Fiat had a full 92 days’ inventory, or around 10,200 vehicles, the largest stock of any solvent brand. Chrysler’s inventory was considerably less (in days’ worth) than that of GM or Ford.
September saw Fiat’s first commercials with Jennifer Lopez, which appear to have been highly effective in giving the brand an anchor among people who had not heard of it before.
