NewsDesk Deals, Openings, Acquisitions, Partnerships, Orders, Expansions, Awards US Auto Sales: Best Since 2007 E
ven though US light vehicle sales ended the year with a disappointing December—a consequence of ice storms and other seasonal factors—2013 was the best auto sales year since 2007.
Overall, US consumers purchased 15.6 million light cars and trucks, a gain of 7.6% over the prior year, according to Autodata Corp., based on data released by automakers on Jan. 3. On a percentage basis, 2013’s performance wasn’t as strong as the double-digit, post-recession gains of 2010, 2011 and 2012.
But it was respectable enough that most analysts and automakers expect continued strong sales through 2014. “As we get into 2014, we think that the industry is still go- ing to expand, but the pace of that expansion is going to start to slow up, a little bit,” said Ford sales analyst Erich Merkle. These were some of the highlights of U.S. auto sales in 2013, based on data from Autodata Corp.:
The Ford F-Series has now been the best-selling truck for 37 years and best-selling vehicle for 32 years. For 2015, Ford has redesigned the F-150 with more high-strength steel and aluminum to make the truck up to 700 pounds lighter—and far more efficient.
“We expect the economy will continue to gain strength in 2014.” Bill Fay, Toyota division group vice president and general manager.
• Detroit automakers posted strong performances. Sales were up 10.8% at Ford, 9.0% at Chrylser and 7.3% at General Motors. That compares to 9.4% at Nissan, 7.4% at Toyota and 7.2% at Honda.
• Trucks were more popular than cars. Light truck sales, a category that includes minivans, SUVs, pickups and vans, were up 10.5% in 2013 over the prior year, while passenger cars gained 4.9%.
20 17.0
• Pickup truck sales, which are considered an economic indicator, given their use by contractors and other businesses, gained 12.1% in 2013, with full-size pickups up 16.8%. Luxury and compact pickups, by comparison, posted declines.
• Among passenger car buyers, the smallest cars remain the hottest. Small cars were up 7.8%, compared to 0.4% for midsize
15 13.2 11.6 10.4 10 12.8 17.4 17.2
cars and a decline of 57.2% for large cars. Luxury cars posted a healthy 13.5% gain for the year.
• SUV-like vehicles also remain very popular. Sales of SUV and crossover-type vehicles gained 11.9% dur- ing the year.
16.8
US Light Vehicle Sales 17.0
16.7 16.9 16.6 16.1 14.5 15.6
5
0
Year
February 2014 |
ManufacturingEngineeringMedia.com 21
Unit Sales in Millions
Source: Autodata Corp. and Automotive News.
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