Restated numbers cause confusion

When FCA released its July sales figures yesterday, some sources weren’t paying attention.

At least one major industry data source reported that FCA sales rose by 1.5% in July, rather than by 0.3%, because they used the July 2015 numbers released last year rather than the “new system” figures.

Allpar has confirmed that the July 2015 totals in yesterday’s report are correct; in the new system, July 2015’s sales were 2,097 vehicles higher than originally reported.

Revised Ram sales added 3,864 trucks to the tally; FCA found an additional 2,243 deliveries and Dodge sales increased by 1,843 units for a total of 7,950 cars and light trucks not reported last year.

Most of those extra sales were wiped out by the 5,815 fewer Chrysler brand sales; last year’s sales release included 5,582 Chrysler 200s that weren’t actually delivered.

There was one extra Alfa Romeo 4C sold, but 19 fewer Fiat 500Cs and 20 fewer Fiat 500Xs for a net Fiat brands correction of 38 units.

A large-scale revision of past sales is rare, but original sales figures are often corrected by the time the following year’s results are released. There are a variety of reasons for the revisions, including the fact that sales releases are prepared rapidly, usually the day after the sales month closes.