Strong April for DaimlerChrysler Led by Passenger Cars and SUVs
4 May 1999
Strong April for DaimlerChrysler Led by Passenger Cars and SUVs
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., May 3 -- DaimlerChrysler
sold 241,375 cars and trucks in the U.S. in April, with Dodge, Chrysler,
Plymouth and Jeep(R) brands accounting for 225,195 of those sales, a two
percent increase over last April for those nameplates. Mercedes-Benz had U.S.
sales of 16,180 compared to 16,318 units during April 1998.
Sales of the Chrysler 300M, Chrysler Concorde, Chrysler LHS and Dodge
Intrepid -- surged ahead of last year's results by 47 percent and led a six
percent overall gain in passenger cars sales in April for Dodge, Chrysler and
Plymouth. Twelve sales records were set in April, including new monthly high
marks for Jeep brand vehicles -- the Jeep Grand Cherokee, the Jeep Cherokee
and the Jeep Wrangler. The Dodge Division also posted record sales, with
individual records set by Dodge Durango and Dodge Dakota.
"We're riding the wave of on an incredibly successful product line-up,"
said James P. Holden, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing. "Our
dealers are out there in the marketplace riding the same wave, too, supporting
us in every way possible, from keeping the order pipeline full and vehicles in
front of our customers, to improving customer service with efforts like Five
Star."
Chrysler, Plymouth and Dodge passenger car sales totaled 67,713, up six
percent over last April's 63,952. Truck sales -- including minivans and sport
utility vehicles -- were a record 157,482, up slightly over last April's truck
sales of 156,850. Separately, SUVs sold 59,851 units, an 18 percent climb
from April 1998's 50,593 and the 17th monthly record for SUVs in the last 18
months.
The Dodge Division was among the record setters for April, with sales of
128,505, a one percent increase over last April's record volume of 126,611.
Jeep vehicles also set a record for the month with sales of 44,419, a 14
percent increase for the brand over the previous year and the fourth month
running in which Jeep brand vehicles have had record sales. Among the Jeep
record-setters were the Jeep Cherokee, with sales of 14,544, a 30 percent leap
versus April 1998's 11,225, and the Grand Cherokee, which posted sales of
21,583, an eight percent rise over last April and the fourth month running in
which Grand Cherokee sales set a monthly record. Dodge Durango set an April
high mark with sales of 15,432, a 34 percent increase for that model.
DaimlerChrysler Corporation U.S. Sales Summary, Thru April 1999
Month Sales DR % Sales CYTD DR % Sales MYTD DR %
Model Curr Pr Change Curr Pr Change Curr Pr Change
Yr Yr Yr Yr Yr Yr
Neon 6913 6773 2% 24619 27784 -11% 40611 49746 -18%
Breeze 7129 6718 6% 27369 22126 24% 38503 42639 -10%
Prowler 188 131 44% 705 374 89% 1141 466 145%
PLYMOUTH
CAR 14230 13622 4% 52693 50284 5% 80255 92851 -14%
Voyager 11422 14702 -22% 53110 52161 2% 86633 85455 1%
PLYMOUTH
TRUCK 11422 14702 -22% 53110 52161 2% 86633 85455 1%
PLYMOUTH
BRAND 25652 28324 -9% 105803 102445 3% 166888 178306 -6%
Cirrus 3116 3502 -11% 10722 13311 -19% 18858 22872 -18%
Sebring
Coupe 2265 3119 -27% 8655 10266 -16% 14976 17859 -16%
Sebring
Convert-
ible 4675 5309 -12% 20916 19641 6% 30765 29434 5%
Concorde 5420 7443 -27% 19849 20534 -3% 36074 24108 50%
300M 4841 0 0% 18508 0 0% 32301 0 0%
LHS 1910 493 287% 7029 1067 559% 12913 2835 355%
CHRYSLER
CAR 22227 19866 12% 85679 64819 32% 145887 97108 50%
Town &
Country 4392 6465 -32% 22116 23843 -7% 39196 43706 -10%
CHRYSLER
TRUCK 4392 6465 -32% 22116 23843 -7% 39196 43706 -10%
CHRYSLER
BRAND 26619 26331 1% 107795 88662 22% 185083 140814 31%
Wrangler 8292 7798 6% 26738 23392 14% 45887 40778 13%
Cherokee 14544 11225 30% 52674 43942 20% 91634 80390 14%
Grand
Cherokee 21583 20035 8% 89853 75695 19% 152733 147918 3%
JEEP
BRAND 44419 39058 14% 169265 143029 18% 290254 269086 8%
Talon 0 430 -100% 0 1527 -100% 149 3524 -96%
Vision 0 48 -100% 0 255 -100% 0 766 -100%
EAGLE BRAND 0 478 -100% 0 1782 -100% 149 4290 -97%
CPJE CAR 36457 33966 7% 138372 116885 18% 226291 194249 16%
CPJE
TRUCK 60233 60225 0% 244491 219033 12% 416083 398247 4%
CPJE DIVISION
96690 94191 3% 382863 335918 14% 642374 592496 8%
Neon 11232 10431 8% 37188 40457 -8% 60656 72250 -16%
Stratus 6536 8929 -27% 30695 41971 -27% 49888 67582 -26%
Avenger 1437 2026 -29% 6044 7083 -15% 10492 13019 -19%
Intrepid 11910 8443 41% 50924 32707 56% 84891 44854 89%
Viper 141 157 -10% 420 426 -1% 694 780 -11%
DODGE
CAR 31256 29986 4% 125271 122644 2% 206621 198485 4%
Caravan 24166 28007 -14% 106153 98166 8% 172263 161661 7%
Durango 15432 11535 34% 62344 45073 38% 113133 65336 73%
Dakota 14769 14622 1% 53042 52634 1% 89881 87589 3%
Ram P/U 35446 35277 0% 131138 122302 7% 242316 218308 11%
Ram Wagon 2400 2514 -5% 8568 6131 40% 11477 7140 61%
Ram Van 5036 4670 8% 17083 16234 5% 29913 26543 13%
DODGE
TRUCK 97249 96625 1% 378328 340540 11% 658983 566577 16%
DODGE DI-
VISION 128505 126611 1% 503599 463184 9% 865604 765062 13%
TOTAL
CAR 67713 63952 6% 263643 239529 10% 432912 392734 10%
TOTAL
TRUCK 157482 156850 0% 622819 559573 11% 1075066 964824 11%
TOTAL CAR &
TRUCK 225195 220802 2% 886462 799102 11% 1507978 1357558 11%
Total
Minivan 39980 49174 -19% 181379 174170 4% 298092 290822 2%
Total Sport
Utility 59851 50593 18% 231609 188102 23% 403387 334422 21%
Selling
Days 26 26 102 102 179 179