August was a gangbuster month at auto dealerships, with car sales hitting the highest level since late 2007— before the recession that led to the bankruptcies of General Motors (GM) and Chrysler. Vehicle sales this year could top 16 million, which would mark a full recovery for an industry that saw sales sink to less than 10 million in 2009.
Japanese automakers surged the most in August, with sales from last year’s levels up 27% at Honda (HMC), 23% at Toyota (TM) and 22% at Nissan. GM, Ford (F) and Chrysler each posted double-digit gains, thanks largely to rising sales of pickup trucks, a happy trend tied to the housing recovery. Overall, August sales rose 17% compared with the same month last year, and year-to-date sales are 10% above 2012 levels, according to sales data compiled by Automotive News. There are even shortages of a few hot models, such as the Ford Fusion and Nissan Sentra.
But the rising pavement isn’t lifting all brands. Several nameplates are missing out on this year’s auto recovery, with sales far below average. Here are the major brands with the most disappointing sales so far this year, ranked according to their year-to-date numbers:
Volvo. Year-to-date sales: down 6% from 2012; August sales: down 13% from August 2012. Ford sold this Swedish automaker to Chinese car company Geely in 2010, and the transition to new ownership seems to have slowed the introduction of new models, which is crucial to maintaining buyer interest. Redesigned vehicles will start appearing in 2014, which should help sales recover.
REUTERS/Bob Strong
