Record Month in U.S., With Dodge, Chrysler, Plymouth and Jeep Sales
2 September 1999
DaimlerChrysler Brands Have Record Month in U.S., With Dodge, Chrysler, Plymouth and Jeep Sales up 9 Percent
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Sept. 1 -- Fueled by record months for
Dodge, Chrysler, Plymouth and Jeep(R) brands, as well as Mercedes-Benz,
DaimlerChrysler in August sold 218,507 vehicles in the U.S.
Dodge, Chrysler, Plymouth and Jeep contributed 203,991 to the total, a 9
percent increase for those brands, and the sixth month this year in which
those brands have set a monthly record. Mercedes-Benz contributed 14,516 to
the total, a 12 percent increase over August 1998's 12,983.
"People keep waiting for this auto market to go soft and yet consumers --
and strong products like the Jeep Grand Cherokee, the Chrysler 300M and the
Dodge Ram pickup -- keep proving them wrong," said James P. Holden,
Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing. "The economy just keeps
roaring along, and we're about to set the all-time record for auto business in
the U.S."
Monthly highlights included the Jeep Grand Cherokee, which had the best
sales month in its history, totaling 31,698, a 117 percent surge over the
year-earlier period. Jeep brands as a whole posted record sales of 50,054, a
48 percent increase for those brands over August 1998 sales. Dodge brands in
August sold a record 110,692 vehicles, surpassing the August 1998 record of
105,314. Chrysler 300M also set an August record with sales of 4,631, a 3
percent rise from 1998's August record. In all, 13 new sales records were
established for the Dodge, Chrysler, Plymouth and Jeep brands in August,
including monthly highs for the Dodge Division, Dodge trucks, Dodge Ram, Dodge
Durango and Dodge Intrepid.
Total truck sales for Dodge, Chrysler, Plymouth and Jeep brands, an August
record at 146,835, were up 13 percent versus August 1999. Separately, sport
utility vehicle sales, also an August record, totaled 63,026, a 41 percent
jump over August 1998 and the 12th consecutive month in which SUV sales have
been record-setting. Passenger car sales for the Dodge, Chrysler and
Plymouth brands were 57,156, up 1 percent compared to last year.
Other monthly high marks included Ram pickup with sales of 38,821, a 20
percent increase over August 1998's sales of 32,323, and the 14th monthly
record for Ram in the last 16 months. Dodge Durango sales continued to be
strong at 12,972 units, an 18 percent rise from 1998's record of 10,953. Also
in the Dodge lineup, Dodge Intrepid posted record sales of 10,657, a 42
percent increase for that model over last August's sales.
DaimlerChrysler Corporation U.S. Sales Summary, Thru August 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 5716 5105 12% 51845 55763 -7% 67837 77725 -13%
Breeze 3219 4333 -26% 41465 44219 -6% 52599 64732 -19%
Prowler 167 172 -3% 1496 1041 44% 1932 1133 71%
PLYMOUTH
CAR 9102 9610 -5% 94806 101023 -6% 122368 143590 -15%
Voyager 9332 11109 -16% 107655 113207 -5% 141178 146501 -4%
PLYMOUTH TRUCK
9332 11109 -16% 107655 113207 -5% 141178 146501 -4%
PLYMOUTH BRAND
18434 20719 -11% 202461 214230 -5% 263546 290091 -9%
Cirrus 1924 2739 -30% 21901 27599 -21% 30037 37160 -19%
Sebring Coupe
2379 3404 -30% 18743 24492 -23% 25064 32085 -22%
Sebring Convertible
3641 3871 -6% 38476 38201 1% 48325 47994 1%
Concorde 5317 4299 24% 41389 43128 -4% 57614 46702 23%
300M 4631 4475 3% 36744 12913 185% 50537 12913 291%
LHS 1939 2300 -16% 14960 8639 73% 20844 10407 100%
CHRYSLER CAR
19831 21088 -6% 172213 154972 11% 232421 187261 24%
Town & Country
4980 5280 -6% 44879 49578 -9% 61959 69441 -11%
CHRYSLER TRUCK
4980 5280 -6% 44879 49578 -9% 61959 69441 -11%
CHRYSLER BRAND
24811 26368 -6% 217092 204550 6% 294380 256702 15%
Wrangler 6789 6905 -2% 62970 57652 9% 82119 75038 9%
Cherokee
11567 12307 -6% 110297 92991 19% 149257 129439 15%
Grand Cherokee
31698 14584 117% 197855 154972 28% 260735 227195 15%
JEEP
BRAND 50054 33796 48% 371122 305615 21% 492111 431672 14%
Talon 0 143 -100% 0 2730 -100% 149 4727 -97%
Vision 0 129 -100% 0 501 -100% 0 1012 -100%
EAGLE
BRAND 0 272 -100% 0 3231 -100% 149 5739 -97%
CPJE
CAR 28933 30970 -7% 267019 259226 3% 354938 336590 5%
CPJE TRUCK
64366 50185 28% 523656 468400 12% 695248 647614 7%
CPJE DIVISION
93299 81155 15% 790675 727626 9% 1050186 984204 7%
Neon 8931 7742 15% 77977 84604 -8% 101445 116397 -13%
Stratus 6787 7811 -13% 58267 80484 -28% 77460 106095 -27%
Avenger 1742 2609 -33% 12825 17460 -27% 17273 23396 -26%
Intrepid
10657 7531 42% 96190 64461 49% 130157 76608 70%
Viper 106 180 -41% 839 882 -5% 1113 1236 -10%
DODGE CAR
28223 25873 9% 246098 247891 -1% 327448 323732 1%
Caravan 17636 19016 -7% 213715 209755 2% 279825 273250 2%
Durango 12972 10953 18% 125228 93023 35% 176017 113286 55%
Dakota 8406 11932 -30% 100803 103354 -2% 137642 138309 0%
Ram P/U 38821 32323 20% 292413 264172 11% 403591 360178 12%
Ram
Wagon 800 701 14% 16067 13129 22% 18976 14138 34%
Ram Van 3834 4516 -15% 36031 35155 2% 48861 45464 7%
DODGE TRUCK
82469 79441 4% 784257 718588 9% 1064912 944625 13%
DODGE DIVISION
110692 105314 5% 1030355 966479 7% 1392360 1268357 10%
TOTAL
CAR 57156 56843 1% 513117 507117 1% 682386 660322 3%
TOTAL TRUCK
146835 129626 13% 1307913 1186988 10% 1760160 1592239 11%
TOTAL CAR & TRUCK
203991 186469 9% 1821030 1694105 7% 2442546 2252561 8%
Total Minivan
31948 35405 -10% 366249 372540 -2% 482962 489192 -1%
Total Sport Utility
63026 44749 41% 496350 398638 25% 668128 544958 23%
Selling
Days 26 26 205 205 282 282