The Auto Channel
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
Official Website of the New Car Buyer

AIADA: May 2014 US Auto Sales At 9 Year High


PHOTO

Sales Shoot to Nine Year High in May

Washington DC June 4, 2014; The AIADA reported that good weather, low interest rates, and a favorable calendar, which included five weekends, combined to drive sales to their highest monthly total since July 2005. BMW (up 17 percent from May 2013), Honda (up 9.8 percent), and Toyota (up 16.5 percent), were some of the month’s big winners. Volkswagen saw sales fall 15.4 percent. Jeep and Mitsubishi saw the biggest gains in May, up 58 percent and 54.2 percent, respectively.

“May’s sales results bode well for the summer months,” said AIADA President Cody Lusk. “Dealers are seeing an increase in consumer traffic as interest rates remain low and road-trip season kicks off.”

International Brands See Climbing Market Share

International nameplate brands secured a 54.6 percent share of the U.S. auto industry in May, up from their 53.9 percent share in April. In total, they sold 879,503 vehicles, up from 750,328 last month.

Asian brands occupied the single largest share of the market with 46.2 percent, up from 44.9 percent in April. They sold 743,937 vehicles, an uptick from 624,892 in April. Asian automakers are up 14.1 percent over last May when they occupied 45.1 percent of the U.S. market and sold 651,984 vehicles.

European brands held 8.4 percent of the market, which was down slightly from the 9 percent share they held in April. Despite a slightly lower share of the market, they sold 135,566 vehicles overall, which was up from the 125,085 vehicles they sold in April. European brands were also up 4.5 percent over May 2013 when they sold 129,759 vehicles.

Domestic brands finished the month with a 45.3 percent share of the market and sales of 729,190 units. In April they held 46 percent of the market and sold 640,185 vehicles. In total, sales of domestic brands are up 10 percent over last May.

Top Ten List Features International Nameplates

International nameplates represented six of the top ten selling vehicles in May, as international brands maintained their status as some of the best-selling vehicles in America.

The Toyota Camry moved into second place in May, ousting the Chevrolet Silverado pickup. Sales for the best-selling midsize car are up 26.4 percent over last May. The Honda Accord also turned in a strong showing for the month, taking fourth place—up from fifth place last month—and was up 19.3 percent over May 2013.

The compact Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic—in sixth and seventh place respectively—also had a successful month. Sales for the Corolla were up 30.8 percent, while the Civic was up 19.2 percent. The Nissan Altima, up 12.9 percent, logged an eighth place finish, while the Honda CR-V finished the month in tenth place with sales up 18.8 percent.

North American Manufacturing Base is Strong

A majority of the vehicles sold by international brand automakers in the U.S. are built close to home. In May, 560,808 vehicles out of the 879,503 sold by international brands in the U.S. were manufactured in North America. Asian brands sourced 312,003 cars from North American plants, representing 39.3 percent of all cars sold in the U.S. in May. They also sourced 211,976 trucks from these facilities, representing 25.3 percent of all trucks sold in the U.S. European brands sourced 19,981 cars, which represented 2.5 percent of overall U.S. car sales, from North America. They sourced 16,848 trucks from these plants, representing 2.1 percent of all trucks sold in the U.S.

Outlook

AutoData Corp. estimates the seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) for May was 16.77 million units versus 15.48 million units a year ago. This is the highest reported SAAR since February 2007. Sales for all brands, unadjusted for business days, were up 11.4 percent from May 2013 and 5 percent year over year.