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Edmunds.com Forecasts September Auto Sales: Some Automakers Enjoy Gains Despite Soft Market


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SANTA MONICA, Calif.--This month's new vehicle sales (including fleet sales) are expected to be 1.29 million units, a 4.5 percent decrease from September 2006, according to Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive information.

This September had 25 selling days, one less than September 2006. When adjusted for this difference, sales decreased 0.7 percent from September 2006. (The chart below sets forth other adjusted and unadjusted comparisons.)

 

Change from

September 2006

(Adjusted for less selling days)

 

Change from

September 2006

(Unadjusted for less selling days)

Chrysler

-6.7%

-10.3%
Ford -14.4% -17.7%
GM 0.8% -3.1%
Honda 16.3% 11.8%
Nissan 2.3% -1.7%
Toyota -0.4% -4.2%
Industry Total -0.7% -4.5%

"This month, the automakers with the most momentum are faring well even given the constraints of the marketplace," observed Jesse Toprak, Executive Director of Industry Analysis for Edmunds.com. "Especially in a soft market like this, compelling new products and effective marketing campaigns are the keys to success."

The combined monthly U.S. market share for Chrysler, Ford and General Motors domestic nameplates is estimated to be 51.8 percent in September 2007, down from 54.6 percent in September 2006 and down slightly from 52.1 percent in August 2007.

Edmunds.com predicts Chrysler will sell 152,000 units in September 2007, down 10.3 percent compared to September 2006 and down 9.9 percent from August 2007. This would result in a new car market share of 11.8 percent for Chrysler in September 2007, down from 12.5 percent in September 2006 and up slightly from 11.4 percent in August 2007.

Edmunds.com predicts Ford will sell 192,000 units in September 2007, down 17.7 percent compared to September 2006 and down 9.6 percent from August 2007. This would result in a market share of 14.9 percent of new car sales in September 2007 for Ford, down from 17.3 percent in September 2006 and up from 14.4 percent in August 2007.

Edmunds.com predicts GM will sell 325,000 units in September 2007, down 3.1 percent compared to September 2006 and down 16.0 percent from August 2007. GM's market share is expected to be 25.2 percent of new vehicle sales in September 2007, up from 24.8 percent in September 2006 and down from 26.2 percent in August 2007.

"This week’s UAW strike doesn’t appear to have hurt GM's sales," commented Michelle Krebs, Senior Editor of Edmunds' AutoObserver.com. "The 1998 strike, which lasted for 54 days, was debilitating to GM. The automaker lost money and market share -- share it never regained. But this time around, the strike was over well before GM’s inventory got low enough to frustrate shoppers.”

Edmunds.com predicts Honda will sell 130,000 units in September 2007, up 11.8 percent from September 2006 but down 17.9 percent from August 2007. Its market share is expected to be 10.1 percent in September 2007, up from 8.6 percent in September 2006 and down from 10.8 percent in August 2007.

Edmunds.com predicts Nissan will sell 87,000 units in September 2007, down 1.7 percent from September 2006 and down 9.1 percent from August 2007. Nissan's market share is expected to be 6.7 percent in September 2007, up slightly from 6.5 percent in September 2006 and up slightly from 6.5 percent in August 2007.

Edmunds.com predicts Toyota will sell 214,000 units in September 2007, down 4.2 percent from September 2006 and down 8.5 percent from August 2007. Toyota's market share is expected to be 16.6 percent in September 2007, up slightly from 16.5 percent in September 2006 and up from 15.9 percent from August 2007.

“We expect to see a year-over-year decline in Toyota sales for the third month in a row,” remarked Krebs. “They couldn’t possibly keep up the dramatic momentum they had been enjoying.“

About Edmunds Inc. (http://www.edmunds.com/help/about/)

Edmunds Inc. publishes four Web sites that empower, engage and educate automotive consumers, enthusiasts and insiders. Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive consumer information, launched in 1995 as the first automotive information Web site. Its most popular feature, the Edmunds.com True Market Value®, is relied upon by millions of people seeking current transaction prices for new and used vehicles. Edmunds.com was named "Best Car Research Site" by Forbes ASAP, has been selected by consumers as the "Most Useful Web Site" according to every J.D. Power and Associates New Autoshopper.com Study(SM), was ranked first in the Survey of Car-Shopping Web Sites by The Wall Street Journal and was rated "#1" in Keynote's study of third-party automotive Web sites. Inside Line launched in 2005 and is the most-read automotive enthusiast Web site. CarSpace launched in 2006 and is an automotive social networking Web site and home to the oldest and most established automotive community. AutoObserver.com launched in 2007 and provides insightful automotive industry commentary and analysis. Edmunds Inc. is headquartered in Santa Monica, California, and maintains a satellite office in suburban Detroit.