Power Information Network Reports: Asian Automakers Gain Market Share in August

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.--Aug. 2, 20052, 2005--The Asian automakers gained retail market share while General Motors and Ford Motor Company experienced a decline through the first half of August, according to the Power Information Network (PIN).

Based on actual retail transaction data from PIN, American Honda gained 3.9 points of retail share, the most of any multi-franchise manufacturer, when comparing retail market share for the first 15 days of August with the first 15 days of July. The Honda brand by itself increased its retail share by 3.6 points to an impressive 10.8 percent.

Toyota Motor captured an additional 3.2 points of retail share in the first half of August, with the Toyota brand up 2.2 points and Lexus up 0.7 points. Nissan Motor and Hyundai Motor have also had substantial retail share gains -- up 1.4 points and 1.0 points, respectively.

Among the nine multi-franchise manufacturers, only Ford and GM lost retail share. Ford was off only marginally, dropping 0.1 percent. GM, on the other hand, suffered the expected payback from an exceptionally strong June-July performance, as its retail share dropped 12.1 points from July to August. GM's retail share was also down 4 points versus July of 2004. Within GM, Chevrolet saw a major slowdown in sales, as its retail share plummeted from 17 percent in the first half of July to just 9.6 percent in the first half of August.

DaimlerChrysler's retail share increased 0.2 points in August compared to July.

"In a way, GM has been a victim of its own success," said Tom Libby, senior director of industry analysis at the Power Information Network. "GM dealers sold so many units in June and July that many of the dealer lots are now literally almost empty."

Trade-in data from PIN indicates that in the first half of August, as compared to the same period in July, both American Honda and Toyota Motor attracted a higher percentage of their current owners and fewer owners of Big Three vehicles. This suggests owner loyalty to American Honda and Toyota Motor increased from one month to the next.

The average new-vehicle retail transaction price declined for the period from $26,098 in July to $25,784 in August, a drop of just more than 1 percent. Among the nine multi-franchise manufacturers, only Hyundai Motor and Volkswagen of America had increases, which were mild. The largest decline among this group of automakers was for Nissan Motor, for which average actual transaction prices slipped 2.3 percent -- about twice the industry average.

About Power Information Network (PIN)

PIN's automotive solutions are based on the collection and analysis of daily new- and used-vehicle retail transaction information from 9,000 automotive dealership franchises in North America. PIN's industry-leading automotive solutions incorporate consumer demand and sales information to improve business for automotive dealers, manufacturers, lenders, and other companies in the industry. Additional information is available at www.powerinfonet.com.

About J.D. Power and Associates

Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is an ISO 9001-registered global marketing information services firm operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, consulting, training and customer satisfaction. The firm's quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies

Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education and BusinessWeek. The Corporation has more than 300 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2004 were $5.3 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com.