International Automobile Dealers Announce December 2008 Monthly Sales

Overall Industry Sales Fall Thirty-Six Percent

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Jan. 6, 2009; The American International Automobile Dealers Association (AIADA) today released December 2008 sales figures for the international automobile industry. AIADA represents over 11,000 international franchises which account for 50.7 percent of all vehicles sold in the United States. Overall sales, unadjusted for business days, were down 35.5 percent from December 2007, and 18 percent year to date.

"Consumer confidence is the greatest challenge facing both domestic and international auto dealers today," said AIADA President Cody Lusk. "As the new Congress convenes this month, they must look for ways to promote a retail recovery in order to achieve a true economic recovery." In December, the Consumer Confidence Index hit an all-time low, according to the Conference Board, which has released its index monthly since 1967.

According to numbers from Autodata Corp., international brands sold 454,088 vehicles in December, up slightly from 390,658 vehicles in November and 448,351 in October. Asian brands held a 41.7 percent share of the market, Europeans had a 9 percent share, and domestic brands finished the month with 49.3 percent of the market. Year to date only Mini, Rolls Royce, and Subaru have seen sales rise from 2007.

December's dismal sales resulted in a preliminary seasonally adjusted annual rate of 10.4 million, surprising some analysts who predicted that sales on an annual basis would fall below the 10 million mark. For the year, sales fell 18 percent to 13.2 million, the lowest annual figure since 1992. In 2007, 16.2 million vehicles were sold. For more information on automobile sales data, and to view a full report on December automobile sales, CLICK HERE.

About AIADA: Established in 1970, AIADA is and continues to be the only association whose sole purpose is to represent America's 11,000 international nameplate automobile franchises that sell and service the following brands: Acura, Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Ferrari, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Isuzu, Jaguar, Kia, Land Rover, Lexus, Maserati, Maybach, Mazda, Mercedes, MINI, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Porsche, Rolls Royce, Saab, Scion, Smart, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo. These retailers have a positive economic impact both nationally and in the local communities they serve, providing more than 500,000 American jobs. Visit AIADA online at www.aiada.org.