Toyota Announces Best-Ever Sales Month
3 June 1998
Toyota Announces Best-Ever Sales Month: Eclipses 12 Year Old Record
TORRANCE, Calif., June 2 -- Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A.,
Inc. today reported the best sales month in its 41-year history with total May
sales of 136,274, an increase of 17.4 percent over last May and eclipsing the
previous sales mark set in July, 1986.
Both TMS sales divisions increased sales over the same period last year.
The Toyota Division recorded best-ever May sales and the second-best month in
division history with 121,654 versus 113,152 in 1997. For the second-
consecutive month the Lexus Division reported its best-ever sales month with
14,620, an increase of 100.9 percent. Year-to-date Lexus sales are up nearly
50 percent over a record-setting 1997.
"The auto industry hit more home runs in May than Mark McGwire," said Yale
Gieszl, TMS executive vice president. "Toyota's performance was out of the
ballpark, but any falloff in the incentives that have been driving the
industry's performance could put all of us into a temporary slump in the
months ahead."
Camry recorded its best-ever month with 44,388 units sold, an increase of
24.7 percent over last May. Corolla also enjoyed a strong sales period in a
slow subcompact car market with 27,783 sales, an increase of 22.3 percent.
The Lexus Division's record sales month was fueled by the all-new RX 300
sport utility vehicle, which tallied sales of 4,317. Sales of the luxury
division's full-size sport utility vehicle, the LX 450/470 continued to thrive
with 949 units, up 41.4 percent. The GS300/400 recorded increased sales of
2,068 and 1,062 units, respectively, over the same period last year.
Toyota light truck sales also recorded a best-ever May sales month. In
its first full sales month, the all-new Land Cruiser sold 1,717 units, a 60.2
percent increase over the same period last year and the best-ever sales month
in its 41-year history. The Sienna minivan recorded the best-ever sales month
for a Toyota van with sales of 7,671. RAV4 sales were also up with 5,917
units, an increase of 4.3 percent.
Rounding out the Toyota Division's record shattering month was the Tacoma
compact pickup with sales of 14,642, up 6.3 percent. Tacoma sales were
boosted by the strong presence of the all-new PreRunner which accounted for 16
percent of Tacoma's two-wheel-drive sales.
Sales of North American-built vehicles represented 62.8 percent of total
year-to-date sales. There were 25 selling days compared to 26 last May.
TOYOTA/LEXUS SALES
MAY, 1998
--CURRENT MONTH-- --CALENDAR YEAR TO DATE--
DSR % DSR %
1998 1997 CHG 1998 1997 CHG
TOTAL VEHICLE SALES 136,274 120,721 17.4 518,223 533,198 -2.0
Memo: Total Toyota
Div. 121,654 113,152 11.8 462,717 495,705 -5.9
Memo: Total Lexus
Div. 14,620 7,569 100.9 55,506 37,493 49.2
TOYOTA DIV. IMPORT
CAR 17,069 12,438 42.7 55,829 59,356 -5.2
LEXUS IMPORT CAR 9,354 6,871 41.6 43,784 34,170 29.1
TOYOTA DIV. NA BUILT
CARS 63,274 62,158 5.9 231,426 275,800 -15.4
TOTAL TOYOTA CARS 89,697 81,467 14.5 331,039 369,326 -9.7
SPORT UTILITY
VEHICLES 23,475 20,621 18.4 90,052 88,170 2.9
Memo: Lexus Sport
Utility 5,266 698 684.6 11,722 3,323 255.5
SMALL VANS 7,684 597 1238.6 31,928 2,482 1196.5
PICKUPS 15,418 18,036 -11.1 65,204 73,220 -10.2
* NORTH AMERICAN
BUILT VEHICLES
COROLLA 27,783 23,453 23.2 101,702 97,485 5.1
CAMRY 28,163 30,932 -5.3 98,263 147,181 -32.7
AVALON 7,328 7,773 -2.0 31,461 31,134 1.8
SIENNA 7,671 0 NA 31,855 0 NA
PICKUP 14,642 14,321 6.3 61,297 58,755 5.1
TOTAL 85,587 76,479 16.4 324,578 334,555 -2.2
N.A. VEHICLES
% OF TOTAL 62.8% 63.4% 62.6% 62.7%
SELLING DAYS 25 26 127 128
DSR = DAILY SELLING RATE