U.S. Auto Sales February 2016 - Led By International Brands Sales Soar

Washington DC March 2, 2016; The AIADA newsletter reported that February's U.S. sales figures were a welcome sight for dealers after a flat start to the year,” said AIADA President Cody Lusk. “Thanks to accessible credit and low gas prices, 2016 is shaping up to be a positive year for international dealers.”

International Brands Dominate U.S. Auto Market

International Brands finished the month with 53.4 percent of the market, down from the 53.8 percent share they held in January and 54.5 percent last February. Despite the change in market share, total international sales clocked in at 717,943 units in February, a solid increase over the 617,258 vehicles sold last month and 682,174 sold in February 2015.

Asian brands occupied 45.5 percent of the market, up from 45.1 percent last month, but down from the 45.8 percent share they held a year ago. Overall, they sold 612,021 vehicles, an increase over 517,898 last month and 575,445 in February 2015. European brand market share declined to 7.9 percent in February from 8.7 percent last month and 8.7 percent in February 2015. European brands sold 105,922 vehicles, up from 99,360 units last month, but down from the 109,673 vehicles they sold last February. Domestic brands finished the month with 46.6 percent of the market, up from 46.2 percent last month. Overall sales of domestic brands were up from February 2015 when they sold 572,501 vehicles.

International Models Are Popular Option with Buyers

International models were at the top of shoppers’ lists in February, occupying six of the top ten selling vehicle slots for the month. The Toyota Camry remained on top, logging a fourth place finish with sales for the sedan down slightly from last February by 1.6 percent.

In seventh place, the compact Honda Civic saw the most successful sales improvement from February 2015 sales figures; it was up 31.7 percent. Its fellow compact, the Toyota Corolla, also saw sales improve by 5.4 percent and logged a fifth place finish for the month. The Nissan Altima took sixth place, although sales were down by half a percentage point, while the Honda Accord finished in eighth place with sales up 19.3 percent. The Toyota RAV4 finished out the month’s list of top models, with sales up 16.3 percent.

More Vehicles Sourced From North America

International brands continue to grow their North American manufacturing presence, producing more and more of their vehicles close to where they sell them. Together, these units produced 471,229 vehicles, up from 396,700 last month. Asian brands produced the majority of these vehicles—totaling 437,811 units. These included 42.5 percent of all cars sold in the U.S. and 25.2 percent of all trucks sold. European brands produced 33,418 vehicles at their North American plants, including 3.3 percent of all cars sold in the U.S. and 1.9 percent of all trucks sold.

Outlook

AutoData Corp. reports that the seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) in February was 17.54 million units, versus 16.40 units last February. Total industry deliveries increased 6.9 percent over last February and 17 percent compared to last month. Industrywide, 1,344,225 million light vehicles were sold in February, compared to 1,257,619 in February 2015. Unadjusted for business days, sales for all brands for the year were up 6.9 percent from 2015 levels and 3.5 percent for the year-to-date.