Chrysler February sales beat forecasts

Sometimes victory is defined simply by not losing as badly as everyone else. Chrysler had one of those victories in February. Even though its own sales were down 44 percent, Chrysler came in ahead of General Motors and Ford, where sales were even worse. In fact, Chrysler no longer has the worst year-to-date (YTD) sales [...]

Chrysler sales plummet in November; Dodge still strong brand

Chrysler sales plunged 47.1 percent in November as tight credit and consumer concerns about the economy took a toll on the entire industry. Compounding the matter was buyer uncertainty about the future of Chrysler and the other American automakers. In its loan request to Congress, General Motors cited a study by CNW Marketing Research that [...]

All automakers lose in November U.S. sales

While some automakers have not reported in yet, all the others have declared losses in U.S. sales (November 2008 vs November 2007):

BMW: down 27%
Chrysler: down 47%
Ford: down 33% (including Volvo, down 47%)
GM: down 41%
Honda: down 32%
Isuzu: down 74% (from 496 to 130 units)
Mazda: down 31%
Mercedes: down 30%
Mitsubishi: down 36%
Nissan: down 42%
Porsche: down 48%
Subaru: down 4%
Suzuki: [...]

Frank Klegon: next-gen big cars to get better mileage

According to Automotive News, Chrysler’s Frank Klegon said that the next-generation LX series (apparently re-classified from LY) will have strong gas mileage improvements, through better aerodynamics, new transmissions, revised axle ratios (this has already been implemented for Charger squad cars), and engine upgrades. The Phoenix engines will naturally be used, with variable valve timing and [...]

ZF to run and tool axle plant (updated)

Chrysler announced that it would contract with ZF Friedrichschafen AG to run a new axle factory in Marysville, Michigan, set to open in 2010 with a capacity of 500,000 axles per year. Chrysler will retain ownership of the building, and 350 employees of the nearby Chrysler axle plant will work there; while ZF will buy [...]

Grim October sales pace worst in 25 years

As predicted, October’s U.S. light vehicle sales weren’t pretty. A tough economy and severely tightened credit produced a seasonally adjusted annual rate of just 10.56 million sales, the lowest SAAR since February 1983. Combined reported sales numbers missed even September’s anemic levels, coming in at about 838,000 units, 130,000 units less than last month and [...]

Chrysler reclaims No. 4 spot as September sales crater

Let’s start the report with some good news: Chrysler regained the No. 4 spot in sales last month. Not just for the month, but in year-to-date (YTD) sales, as well. Chrysler outsold Honda by over 10,000 units in September, giving it a slim, 2,936-unit lead for the first nine months of 2008. Some more good [...]