Mitsubishi Motors Announces August Sales
1 September 1998
Mitsubishi Motors' August Sales Reach 18,160 Units; Mirage and All-New Galant Show Strong PerformanceCYPRESS, Calif., Sept. 1 -- Mitsubishi Motor Sales of America, Inc. (MMSA) has announced August sales of 18,160, a nine percent decline in its monthly sales compared to 1997 figures. August also reflects the first sales performance of Mitsubishi Motors' all-new Galant mid-size sedan, which posted a 32 percent gain over last year's Galant sales. Other bright spots for the company include a 33 percent sales increase for the Mirage compact 4-door, and a two percent increase for the Mirage Coupe. Overall, Mitsubishi Motors' year-to-date sales are down one percent over 1997, due mostly to the model changeover earlier this year for Galant, one of Mitsubishi Motors' best-selling cars. "Our launch of the all-new Galant is going quite well, and we're doing our best to get these mid-size sedans shipped to support strong sales at our retailers," said Pierre Gagnon, executive vice president and chief operating officer. "We expect that as production ramps up, we will continue to show significant sales increases for this stylish and affordable new sedan." Mitsubishi Motors' sporty Eclipse coupe and Spyder convertible remained popular products during August, with combined sales of nearly 6,000 units. Earlier this summer, Eclipse production topped the half-million mark in sales since its entry in 1989. The entire Eclipse model line is built alongside the all-new Galant at the company's Normal, Illinois, manufacturing plant. Mitsubishi Motor Sales of America, Inc., was established in 1982 by Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, Tokyo, and markets a full line of vehicles, including coupes, convertibles, sedans and sport utility vehicles. Aug. '98 Aug. '97 % Change Month/YTD Month/YTD Month/YTD Passenger Car Sales* 15,199/103,155 16,040/106,666 -5%/-3% Sport Utility Vehicles** 2,961/27,060 4,046/24,699 -27%/+10% Trucks*** 0/0 0/207 0/-100% Total Vehicle Sales 18,160/130,215 20,086/131,572 -10%/-15% Note: U.S.-Built Vehicle Sales 9,739/70,813 10,631/74,070 -8%/-4% (Includes Eclipse/Eclipse Spyder/Galant) * Above totals include sales of U.S.-built Mitsubishi Motors vehicles ** Includes Montero and Montero Sport *** Truck sales include inventory stock only; MMSA stopped selling the Mighty Max pickup truck early in 1996