Chrysler July Sales Up Three Percent
4 August 1998
Chrysler July Sales Up Three Percent
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Aug. 3 -- Chrysler Corporation
continued its momentum of strong car and truck sales in July, reporting a
three percent improvement over the same period a year ago. For July, car and
truck sales totalled 206,018 units, up from 199,662 units last year. July
marks the sixth consecutive month that Chrysler vehicles sales have exceeded
200,000 units. Moreover, eight of the past nine months have seen year-to-year
sales increases.
"We knew we had a tough act to follow, after selling more than a half
million vehicles in May and June combined," said M. John MacDonald, Vice
President of Sales and Service. "The fact that we were able to crack the
200,000 barrier again in July speaks to the strength of the market and to the
popularity of our cars and trucks."
There were eight individual sales records established for the month.
The Company's hot-selling sport utility models, the Jeep(R) Grand
Cherokee, Jeep Cherokee, Jeep Wrangler and Dodge Durango, fueled the sales
performance for the month, posting a combined 49,661 units, up 35% from a year
ago and an all-time July record.
For the month, total car sales of 59,515 units were down eight percent
over July 1997. Highlights include the Chrysler Cirrus, Chrysler Concorde and
Plymouth Breeze up 33 percent, 15 percent and 15 percent respectively. The
Chrysler 300M, an all-new nameplate, posted sales of 5,059 units, a strong
performance for the new model.
Total truck sales tallied 146,503 units for the month, a nine percent
increase over a year ago and a new record for the month of July, the ninth
consecutive record month. Monthly sales records were also established in July
for Dodge Truck (89,415 units, up 19 percent), Dodge Ram pickup (34,517 units,
up 21 percent), Dodge Dakota (11,919 units, up 12 percent) and Jeep Wrangler
(8,181 units, up 17 percent). The new Dodge Durango continues as a runaway
success for the Company (11,745 units) and the Jeep Grand Cherokee continues
to sell well (18,051 units), even as it makes way for an all-new model this
fall.
"Chrysler had outstanding sales performances in May and June," said
MacDonald. "Now, with vehicle inventories relatively low, breaking the
200,000 mark in July is just that much more impressive."
Chrysler U.S. Sales Summary, Thru July 1998
Month Sales DR % Sales CYTD DR % Sales MYTD DR %
Curr Pr Yr Change Curr Pr Yr Change Curr Pr Yr Change
Model Yr Yr Yr
Neon 6227 6851 -9% 50658 51341 -1% 72620 70946 2%
Breeze 4704 4101 15% 39886 42922 -7% 60399 58926 2%
Prowler 186 5 NM 869 9 NM 961 9 NM
PLYMOUTH
CAR 11117 10957 1% 91413 94272 -3% 133980 129881 3%
Voyager
13324 15493 -14% 102098 99026 3% 135392 132549 2%
PLYMOUTH TRUCK
13324 15493 -14% 102098 99026 3% 135392 132549 2%
PLYMOUTH BRAND
24441 26450 -8% 193511 193298 0% 269372 262430 3%
Cirrus 3407 2559 33% 24860 17725 40% 34421 24183 42%
Sebring
Coupe 3524 3593 -2% 21088 21543 -2% 28681 27607 4%
Sebring Convertible
3691 4122 -10% 34330 35791 -4% 44123 48124 -8%
Concorde
4618 4021 15% 38829 28902 34% 42403 40555 5%
300M 5059 0 0% 8438 0 0% 8438 0 0%
LHS 1859 5040 -63% 6339 24706 -74% 8107 33106 -76%
CHRYSLER
CAR 22158 19335 15% 133884 128667 4% 166173 173575 -4%
Town & Country
5848 7220 -19% 44298 43759 1% 64161 62600 2%
CHRYSLER TRUCK
5848 7220 -19% 44298 43759 1% 64161 62600 2%
CHRYSLER BRAND
28006 26555 5% 178182 172426 3% 230334 236175 -2%
Wrangler
8181 6973 17% 50747 52989 -4% 68133 72689 -6%
Cherokee
11684 11487 2% 80684 73479 10% 117132 104835 12%
Grand Cherokee
18051 18444 -2% 140388 140225 0% 212611 219182 -3%
JEEP BRAND
37916 36904 3% 271819 266693 2% 397876 396706 0%
Talon 206 917 -78% 2587 6644 -61% 4584 8986 -49%
Vision 33 423 -92% 372 4155 -91% 883 5911 -85%
EAGLE
BRAND 239 1340 -82% 2959 10799 -73% 5467 14897 -63%
CPJE CAR
33514 31632 6% 228256 233738 -2% 305620 318353 -4%
CPJE TRUCK
57088 59617 -4% 418215 409478 2% 597429 591855 1%
CPJE DIVISION
90602 91249 -1% 646471 643216 1% 903049 910208 -1%
Neon 9258 9396 -1% 76862 72428 6% 108655 99018 10%
Stratus
7081 7378 -4% 72673 61532 18% 98284 84168 17%
Avenger
2558 3140 -19% 14851 20368 -27% 20787 26075 -20%
Intrepid
7026 13096 -46% 56930 94150 -40% 69077 124935 -45%
Viper 78 162 -52% 702 903 -22% 1056 1486 -29%
DODGE CAR
26001 33172 -22% 222018 249381 -11% 297859 335682 -11%
Caravan
24856 27834 -11% 190739 181192 5% 254234 248684 2%
Durango
11745 0 0% 82070 0 0% 102333 0 0%
Dakota
11919 10615 12% 91422 75899 20% 126377 104129 21%
Ram
P/U 34517 28535 21% 231849 199983 16% 327855 295769 11%
Ram Wagon
1357 2269 -40% 12428 13779 -10% 13437 18261 -26%
Ram
Van 5021 5988 -16% 30639 37357 -18% 40948 52899 -23%
DODGE TRUCK
89415 75241 19% 639147 508210 26% 865184 719742 20%
DODGE DIVISION
115416 108413 6% 861165 757591 14% 1163043 1055424 10%
TOTAL CAR
59515 64804 -8% 450274 483119 -7% 603479 654035 -8%
TOTAL TRUCK
146503 134858 9% 1057362 917688 15% 1462613 1311597 12%
TOTAL CAR & TRUCK
206018 199662 3% 1507636 1400807 8% 2066092 1965632 5%
Total Minivan
44028 50547 -13% 337135 323977 4% 453787 443833 2%
Total Sport Utility
49661 36904 35% 353889 266693 33% 500209 396706 26%
Selling
Days 26 26 179 179 256 256