The US' three major automakers--General Motors Co., Ford Motor Company and Chrysler Group LLC--reported Thursday substantially improved December sales.
General Motors' US dealers delivered the company's highest December sales in five years, with deliveries up 5 percent year over year to 245,733 vehicles. December was also GM's best retail sales month of 2012. Retail volume was up 38 percent from November--about double the industry's estimated increase.
Chrysler Group reported US sales of 152,367 units, a 10 percent increase compared with sales in December 2011 (138,019 units), and the group's best December sales since 2007. It was also the company's best December sales since 2007 and the 33rd consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains. Chrysler Group US sales increased 21 percent in 2012, outpacing the projected 13 percent average industry increase. Chrysler Group also announced that its market share grew to 11.2 percent in 2012, up from 10.5 percent share in 2011.
Ford Motor Company's US sales grew across the board in 2012, with cars up 5 percent, utilities up 7 percent, and trucks up 2 percent for the year. Overall, the Ford brand ended 2012 with 2,168,015 vehicles sold--the only brand to top 2 million US sales. December total company sales were up 2 percent, with the strongest December since 2006.