Today is Chrysler dealers day or reckoning.

From the humbe beginnings in 1925 when the company organized them selves to call the self Chrysler comes a shock wave today.  Today 05/14/2009 Chrysler notified thier deals who would be the almost 800 dealerships to close.  This is a little more than a job loss.  This is many salespeople, service people, managers and owners that havebeen working, selling and repairing vehicles for years that have encountered an ubrupt hault on how they havebeen supporting themselfs and countless family memebers for over 75 years.    Here is the list of dealers  -> Chrysler Dealership Hit List

Honda Civic, Accord, Toyota Camry and Corolla all outsell Ford F-150 for the first time

The two brands who lost and gained the most sales last month (MINI and HUMMER) sum up nicely what happened to auto sales during May in the U.S. Brands armed with small cars weathered the storm and big trucks and SUVs continued to nose dive. In fact, after 17 years worth of being this country’s best-selling vehicle, the Ford F-150 full-size pickup (42,973) has fallen for the first time to fifth place behind the Honda Accord (43,728), Toyota Camry (51,291), Corolla (52,826) and your new best-selling vehicle in the U.S., the Honda Civic (53,299). Note to automakers: that would be the sound of the canary in your coal mine hitting the floor.

U.S. automakers continued their year of suffering last month (Chrysler LLC had not yet broken down its numbers by brand at the time of posting), with General Motors taking the beating of its life and Chrysler LLC not far behind. Every single GM brand was down not just in the double-digit range, but all were down more than 20% with HUMMER falling off the map at less than 2,000 units sold. FoMoCo was down nearly 20%, but can at least take heart knowing that its new Focus (32,579) has found a lot fans. Toyota was also down, but was buoyed by the aforementioned incredible popularity of the Camry and Corolla. Nissan and Honda were both up, however, with the big ‘H’ bucking all trends and posting a gain of 11.3%.

NOTE: Because there were 27 selling day in May 2008 versus 26 in May 2007, all percentages represent the change in average Daily Sales Rate, i.e. the average number of vehicles sold per day, rather than the change in raw number of vehicles sold.

Biggest Winner
MINI 47.2% at 6,312 (5/07: 4,130)

Biggest Loser
HUMMER -61.7% at 1,843 (5/07: 4,636)

BRANDS
Acura -9.9% at 14,893 (5/07: 15,920)
Audi -6.4% at 8,534 (5/07: 8,788)
BMW -8.1% at 25,469 (5/07: 26,689)
Buick -37.8% at 11,033 (5/07: 17,087)
Cadillac -26% at 13,348 (5/07: 17,380)
Chevrolet -27.1% at 167,202 (5/07: 220,870)
Ford -16.6% at 184,402 (5/07: 212,572)
GMC -38.8% at 30,724 (5/07: 48,336)
Honda 13.9% at 153,104 (5/07: 129,447)
HUMMER -61.7% at 1,843 (5/07: 4,636)
Hyundai 1.8% at 46,415 (5/07: 43,885)
Infiniti -6% at 10,495 (5/07: 10,748)
Jaguar 22.7% at 1,757 (5/07: 1,379)
Kia 4.9% at 31,047 (5/07: 28,494)
Land Rover -32.3% at 3,003 (5/07: 4,269)
Lexus -19.6% at 26,593 (5/07: 31,847)
Lincoln -42% at 8,365 (5/07: 13,880)
Mazda .4% at 27,921 (5/07: 26,788)
Mercedes 8.3% at 24,480 (5/07: 21,771)
Mercury -28% at 13,593 (5/07: 18,178)
MINI 47.2% at 6,312 (5/07: 4,130)
Mitsubishi -26% at 10,430 (5/07: 13,651)
Nissan 5.7% at 90,379 (5/07: 82,314)
Pontiac -25.9% at 27,966 (5/07: 36,325)
Porsche -20% at 2,796 (5/07: 3,348)
Saab -28% at 2,148 (5/07: 2,872)
Saturn -32.7% at 18,099 (5/07: 26,905)
Subaru 9% at 18,436 (5/07: 16,282)
Suzuki -2% at 10,364 (5/07: 10,190)
Toyota -6.3% at 230,811 (5/07: 237,176)
Volkswagen -3.6% at 22,346 (5/07: 22,325)
Volvo -24% at 7,238 (5/07: 9,192)

Not Yet Reported
Chrysler
Dodge
Jeep

COMPANIES
BMW Group -0.7% at 31,781 (5/07: 30,819)
Chrysler Group -28% at 148,747 (5/07: 199,393)
Ford Motor Co -19% at 217,998 (5/07: 259,470)
General Motors -30% at 272,363 (5/07: 375,682)
Honda America 11.3% at 167,997 (5/07: 145,367)
Nissan North America 4.4% at 100,874 (5/07: 93,062)
Toyota Motor Co. -7.9% at 257,404 (5/07: 269,023)

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Remember when I said February 2008 was the worst month ever in the history of our reporting monthly sales figures? Well, April 2008 was just as bad. Though we had five brands this month that posted an increase in their daily sales rate (DSR) compared to four back in February, automakers had two extra days last month to sell compared to April 2007. Not even that helped as most brands went down flaming with double-digit dips in their DSR*.

The domestics were hit the hardest in April, with Ford Motor Company (-19%), General Motors (-22.7%) and Chrysler LLC (-29%) all down. You’ll hear from analysts that two things are responsible for the Big 3’s poor performance: too many trucks and SUVs that nobody wants combined with a decrease in fleet sales. Nissan North American and Toyota Motor Co. were down as well, but both by less than 5%. Honda informed us it’s having technical difficulties reporting its numbers, so they’re forthcoming.

The significant thing that happened last month is the big jump in small car sales. On a make/model basis, the Ford Focus was up 32%, the Chevy Cobalt and Aveo were up 15.5% and 14%, the Toyota Yaris and Prius rose 45.9% and 53.8%. While virtually all truck and SUV sales were down, as well as those of many larger CUVs, small and mid-size cars were definitely popular with the people.

Biggest Winner
MINI 28.6% at 4,713 (4/07: 3,382)

Biggest Loser
HUMMER -49.8% at 2,380 (4/07: 4,375)

BRANDS
Audi -12% at 7,730 (4/07: 8,106)
BMW -2.5% at 26,735 (4/07: 25,310)
Buick -11.7% at 12,665 (4/07: 13,234)
Cadillac -21.3% at 14,359 (4/07: 16,839)
Chevrolet -21.9% at 157,187 (4/07: 185,759)
Chrysler -45% at 30,670 (4/07: 51,441)
Dodge -23% at 83,348 (4/07: 100,463)
Ford -17.4% at 165,997 (4/07: 185,553)
GMC -29.6% at 31,854 (4/07: 41,748)
HUMMER -49.8% at 2,380 (4/07: 4,375)
Hyundai -7.4% at 39,280 (4/07: 39,137)
Infiniti -11.5% at 9,537 (4/07: 9,945)
Jaguar 15.7% at 1,785 (4/07: 1,424)
Jeep -24.4% at 33,733 (4/07: 41,200)
Land Rover -43.9% at 2,557 (4/07: 4,211)
Lexus -17.1% at 23,350 (4/07: 25,995)
Lincoln -19.3% at 10,340 (4/07: 11,832)
Mazda 4.1% at 23,760 (4/07: 23,760)
Mercedes-Benz -10.4% at 20,271 (4/07: 20,895)
Mercury -31.8% at 12,910 (4/07: 17,481)
MINI 28.6% at 4,713 (4/07: 3,382)
Mitsubishi -32% at 8,878 (4/07: 12,047)
Nissan 0.1% at 66,318 (4/07: 61,179)
Pontiac -15.9% at 24,009 (4/07: 26,346)
Porsche -11.9% at 3,099 (4/07: 3,248)
Saab -37.9% at 1,580 (4/07: 2,350)
Saturn -22% at 16,888 (4/07: 19,977)
Subaru 12% at 16,771 (4/07: 13,786)
Suzuki -2.8% at 9,669 (4/07: 9,179)
Toyota -2.7% at 194,350 (4/07: 184,462)
Volkswagen -6.1% at 19,415 (4/07: 19,086)
Volvo -18.9% at 7,138 (4/07: 8,122)

N/A: Kia, Honda and Acura (Delayed)

COMPANIES
BMW Group 1.2% at 31,448 (4/07: 28,692)
Chrysler LLC -29% at 147,751 (4/07: 193,104)
Ford Motor Co -19% at 200,727 (4/07: 228,623)
General Motors -22.7% at 260,922 (4/07: 311,687)
Honda America (Delayed)
Nissan North America -1.6% at 75,855 (4/07: 71,124)
Toyota Motor Co. -4.5% at 217,700 (4/07: 210,457)

*All percentages are reported as the change in Daily Sales Rate because there were 26 selling days in April 2008 versus 24 in April 2007. Comparing the raw number of vehicles sold both months would not be accurate because of this discrepancy in selling days, so we report the change in the average number of vehicles sold per day.

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Though many news outlets will decry March as a horrible sales month in the auto industry, it wasn’t that bad and there are some notable successes. The reason it isn’t as bad as some will tell you is because most outlets compare the volume of cars sold last month to the same month in 2007, rather than comparing the average number of cars sold per day. Since there were two extra selling days last year (28 vs. 26), looking at the raw numbers is very misleading. All of our numbers below represent the change in the Daily Sales Rate (DSR) rate, so some brands that actually sold less overall did well by selling more cars per day.

There’s no way, however, to sugarcoat the performance of General Motors and Chrysler LLC last month. Both sold about 13% fewer cars per day than last year. Ford Motor Company, meanwhile, was bolstered by a hot-selling Focus and mitigated the damage to just -7.7%. Toyota Motor Co. also got caught in the crossfire, with avg. sales per day down 3.4%. The BMW Group, Honda America and Nissan North America must’ve known something (or sold something) the rest didn’t, as all improved their DSR last month.

We must point out Jaguar, which, thanks to the first month of XF sales, is up for the first time that we can remember. Saab, which has also been consistently flanked by a red arrow, bounced back improving its DSR by 12.4% last month. Volkswagen came out of nowhere with a 21.5% jump, and MINI took the crown of Biggest Winner with a 26.4% rise in its DSR.

Biggest Winner
MINI 26.4% at 4,289 (3/07: 3,655)

Biggest Loser
HUMMER -23.3% at 3,451 (3/07: 4,847)

BRANDS
Acura -15.8% at 13,288 (3/07: 16,986)
Audi 7.2% at 7,987 (3/07: 8,020)
BMW -1.7% at 23,115 (3/07: 25,325)
Buick -18.2% at 12,317 (3/07: 16,222)
Cadillac -0.8% at 17,453 (3/07: 18,943)
Chevrolet -16.9% at 164,564 (3/07: 213,156)
Chrysler -15.8% at 40,539 (3/07: 51,874)
Dodge -15.3% at 85,906 (3/07: 109,226)
Ford -6.7% at 187,828 (3/07: 216,788)
GMC 1.2% at 38,422 (3/07: 40,894)
Honda 6.9% at 125,446 (3/07: 126,406)
HUMMER -23.3% at 3,451 (3/07: 4,847)
Hyundai 9.8% at 42,796 (3/07: 41,984)
Infiniti 7.3% at 13,821 (3/07: 13,877)
Jaguar 13.2% at 1,752 (3/07: 1,667)
Jeep -5.1% at 39,941 (3/07: 45,335)
Kia -2.8% at 24,871 (3/07: 27,567)
Land Rover -10.2% at 3,054 (3/07: 3,663)
Lexus -6.9% at 24,939 (3/07: 28,855)
Lincoln -20.4% at 10,913 (3/07: 14,770)
Mazda -6.0% at 32,929 (3/07: 37,742)
Mercedes 3.7% at 20,808 (3/07: 21,612)
Mercury -11.4% at 14,333 (3/07: 17,426)
MINI 26.4% at 4,289 (3/07: 3,655)
Mitsubishi -7.7% at 10,750 (3/07: 12,536)
Nissan 3.1% at 93,100 (3/07: 97,242)
Pontiac -10.1% at 25,417 (3/07: 30,448)
Porsche -13.8% at 2,624 (3/07: 3,278)
Saab 12.4% at 2,962 (3/07: 2,837)
Saturn -7.5% at 18,146 (3/07: 21,123)
Toyota -2.9% at 192,791 (3/07: 213,820)
Volkswagen 21.5% at 19,587 (3/07: 17,355)
Volvo -6.4% at 9,263 (3/07: 10,661)

YET TO REPORT
Subaru
Suzuki

COMPANIES
BMW Group 1.8% at 27,404 (3/07: 28,980)
Chrysler Group -13.2% at 166,386 (3/07: 206,435)
Ford Motor Co -7.7% at 227,143 (3/07: 264,975)
General Motors -13% at 282,732 (3/07: 349,866)
Honda America 4.2% at 138,734 (3/07: 143,392)
Nissan North America 3.6% at 106,921 (3/07: 111,119)
Toyota Motor Co. -3.4% at 217,730 (3/07: 242,675)

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February 2008 will go down as the ugliest sales month ever in the history of By the Numbers posts. Out of the 35 brands we track, only four improved their daily average sales rate versus the same month last year: Honda (1.9%), Mazda (2.5%), Mercedes-Benz (3%) and our Biggest Winner, MINI (38.5%). Leap year is to blame, as the rare return of February 29th offered most automakers an extra to day to suck.

The big companies themselves fared just as poorly, with every multi-brand automaker except for one down in February compared to last year. Only Honda America scraped together a positive month, increasing its daily average sales rate 0.7% overall.

NOTE: There were 25 selling days in February 2008 versus 24 selling days in February 2007. As such, all percentages represent the change in daily average sales rate rather than the difference in raw number of units sold.

Biggest Winner
MINI 38.5% at 3,415 (2/07: 2,368)

Biggest Loser
Saturn -36.1% at 14,801 (2/07: 22,225)

BRANDS
Acura -8.0% at 13,084 (2/07: 13,658)
Audi -10.6% at 6,152 (2/07: 6,609)
BMW -10.5% at 20,775 (2/07: 22,274)
Buick -18.9% at 12,768 (2/07: 15,108)
Cadillac -2.1% at 14,420 (2/07:14,142)
Chevrolet -14.7% at 166,166 (2/07: 187,088)
Chrysler -13.2% at 41,709 (2/07: 46,112)
Dodge -19.35 at 76,141 (2/07: 90,618)
Ford -8.9% at 164,915 (2/07: 173,794)
GMC -22.7% at 33,237 (2/07: 41,279)
Honda 1.9% at 102,313 (2/07: 96,368)
HUMMER -22.7% at 3,362 (2/07: 4,177)
Hyundai -13.5% at 31,090 (2/07: 34,500)
Infiniti -0.4% at 10,068 (2/07: 9,704)
Jaguar -14.3% at 1,063 (2/07: 1,191)
Jeep -18% at 32,243 (2/07: 37,776)
Kia -10.2% at 21,988 (2/07: 23,512)
Land Rover -12.9% at 2,819 (2/07: 3,106)
Lexus -9.3% at 21,277 (2/07: 22,518)
Lincoln -14.6% at 9,573 (2/07:
Mazda 2.5% at 23,548 (2/07: 22,060)
Mercedes 3% at 18,564 (2/07: 17,304)
Mercury -25% at 10,806 (2/07: 13,843)
MINI 38.5% at 3,415 (2/07: 2,368)
Mitsubishi -10.1% at 9,105 (2/07: 9,726)
Nissan -3.2% at 76,151 (2/07: 75,514)
Pontiac -6.5% at 23,935 (2/07: 24,563)
Porsche -16.3% at 1,715 (2/07: 1,967)
Saab -25% at 1,734 (2/07: 2,221)
Saturn -36.1% at 14,801 (2/07: 22,225)
Subaru -3.8% at 12,907 (2/07: 12,875)
Suzuki -1.6% at 8,800 (2/07: 8,585)
Toyota -6.3% at 160,892 (2/07: 164,812)
Volkswagen -2.9% at 16,556 (2/07: 16,367)
Volvo -14.8% at 7,505 (2/07: 8,453)

COMPANIES
BMW Group -5.8% at 24,190 (2/07: 24,642)
Chrysler Group -17.4% at 150,093 (2/07: 174,506)
Ford Motor Co -10.6% at 196,681 (2/07: 211,150)
General Motors -16.7% at 270,423 (2/07: 311,763)
Honda America 0.7% at 115,397 (2/07: 110,026)
Nissan North America -2.9% at 86,219 (2/07: 85,218)
Toyota Motor Co. -6.6% at 182,169 (2/07: 187,330)

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GM starts year off strong, industry as a whole sees lower sales

Analysts and automakers alike have been warning us that 2008 is going to be another tough year, and January only served to prove them right.

General Motors, up 2.1%, managed to turn out a remarkably good sales month with every single one of its brands posting positive sales except for Pontiac (UPDATE: and Saab, down 25%, though its total sales are small enough not to affect GM’s overall numbers by much). GMC even got a big push from strong Acadia sales (up 335.1% to 7,318) to grab the honor of being our Biggest Winner.

Every other automaker, however, saw lower sales last month compared to January 2006, though double-digit drops were avoided by all except Chrysler. Ford Motor Company fell 4.1% in January, a figure that could have been worse were it not for very strong CUV sales and a 44.4% increase in Focus sales to 11,600. Both Toyota Motor Co. and Honda America fell 2.3%, as well. Nissan North America took the second biggest hit with a 7.3% drop in sales. Chrysler, meanwhile, fared that worst with a 12% decline, though it claims this was a result of reduced fleet sales and was expected.

Check out sales figures for each individual brand below (the BMW Group and Subaru have not yet reported). Since there 25 selling days in both January 2006 and 2007, the numbers below represent both the percentage change in total number of vehicles sold and daily average sales rate.

Biggest Winner
GMC 13.3% at 32,270 (1/07: 28,488)

Biggest Loser
Jaguar -52.2% at 664 (1/07: 1,390)

BRANDS
Acura -14.2% at 11,168 (1/07: 13,017)
Audi 0.3% at 6,418 (1/07: 6,399)
Buick 6.1% at 12,749 (1/07: 12,013)
Cadillac 7.7% at 14,792 (1/07: 13,740)
Chevrolet 0.7% at 149,548 (1/07: 148,449)
Chrysler -17% at 34,372 (1/07: 41,486)
Dodge -12% at 69,884 (1/07: 79,461)
Ford -0.7% at 131,074 (1/07: 132,006)
GMC 13.3% at 32,270 (1/07: 28,488)
Honda -0.5% at 87,343 (1/07: 87,773)
HUMMER -23.4% at 3,050 (1/07: 3,980)
Hyundai -22.6% at 21,452 (1/07: 27,721)
Infiniti -3.6% at 8,644 (1/07: 8,964)
Jaguar -52.2% at 664 (1/07: 1,390)
Jeep -6.0% at 33,136 (1/07: 35,361)
Kia -5.2% at 21,355 (1/07: 22,524)
Land Rover -16.7% at 2,859 (1/07: 3,433)
Lexus -8.2% at 20,299 (1/07: 22,118)
Lincoln -16.8% at 7,985 (1/07: 9,594)
Mazda 10.2% at 21,212 (1/07: 19,265)
Mercedes 7.1% at 18,275 (1/07: 17,069)
Mercury -26.2% at 9,296 (1/07: 12,604)
Mitsubishi -23% at 7,226 (1/07: 9,383)
Nissan -7.8% at 67,961 (1/07: 73,680)
Pontiac -4.3% at 23,025 (1/07: 24,060)
Porsche -13% at 2,595 (1/07: 2,984)
Saab -25% at 1,772 (1/07: 2,362)
Saturn 12.1% at 15,359 (1/07: 13,705)
Suzuki -13% at 7,120 (1/07: 8,179)
Toyota -1.4% at 151,550 (1/07: 153,732)
Volkswagen -13.2% at 14,411 (1/07: 16,610)
Volvo 2.9% at 8,036 (1/07: 7,808)

NA: BMW, MINI, Subaru

COMPANIES
Chrysler Group -12% at 137,392 (1/07: 156,308)
Ford Motor Co -4.1% at 159,914 (1/07: 166,835)
General Motors 2.1% at 252,565 (1/07: 247,464)
Honda America -2.3% at 98,511 (1/07: 100,790)
Nissan North America -7.3% at 76,605 (1/07: 82,644)
Toyota Motor Co. -2.3% at 171,849 (1/07: 175,850)

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Whoa, Mazda, slow down or you’re going to hurt yourself. The Zoom Zoom brand was the big winner in March with sales that rose an impressive 42.6%. Other notable gains include Saturn beating last March by 22.5% (and being the only GM brand on the positive side in sales last month) and Mitsubishi, sales for which rose 17.9% over March of 2006.

The Battle of the Brands was particularly tight this month, with Ford eeking out a victory over Toyota by around 3,000 units. Toyota itself beat Chevy for the title of second most popular brand in March by just 664 units.

Of the major automakers, Ford Motor Company posted the double-digit loss we were all expecting, while General Motors wasn’t able to maintain February’s momentum and fell 7.7% from last year’s levels. Both Toyota and Nissan (including their luxury brands) rose over 7%, while Nissan posted a respectable gain of almost 4%.

Biggest Winner
Mazda 42.6% at 37,742 (3/06: 25,514)

Biggest Loser
Buick -32.8% at 16,222 (3/06: 23,276)

BRANDS
Acura -6.5% at 16,986 (3/06: 17,524)
Audi 10.6% at 8,020 (3/06: 6,994)
BMW -.33% at 25,325 (3/06: 24,501)
Buick -32.8% at 16,222 (3/06: 23,276)
Cadillac -8.4% at 18,944 (3/06: 19,945)
Chevrolet -6.3% at 213,156 (3/06: 219,288)
Chrysler -15.4% at 51,874 (3/06: 59,133)
Dodge -7.4% at 109,226 (3/06: 113,719)
Ford -13.5% at 216,788 (3/06: 241,642)
GMC -7.9% at 40,894 (3/06: 42,837)
Honda 9.5% at 126,406 (3/06 111,282)
HUMMER -23.7% at 4,847 (3/06: 6,125)
Hyundai -3.6% at 41,984 (3/06: 41,766)
Infiniti 12.6% at 13,877 (3/06: 11,886)
Isuzu -2.9% at 1,396 (3/06: 1,387)
Jaguar -13.9% at 1,667 (3/06: 1,866)
Jeep .35% at 45,335 (3/06: 43,560)
Kia 2.2% at 27,567 (3/06: 26,004)
Land Rover -14.9% at 3,663 (3/06: 4,153)
Lexus .8% at 28,855 (3/06: 27,592)
Lincoln 5.9% at 14,770 (3/06: 13,446)
Mazda 42.6% at 37,742 (3/06: 25,514)
Mercedes -2.7% at 21,612 (3/06: 21,417)
Mercury -11.1% at 17,426 (3/06: 18,915)
MINI -8.5% at 3,655 (3/06: 3,851)
Mitsubishi 17.9% at 12,536 (3/06: 10,250)
Nissan 2.8% at 97,242 (3/06: 91,209)
Pontiac -10.1% at 30,448 (3/06: 32,649)
Porsche -.75% at 3,278 (3/06: 3,185)
Saab -15.5% at 2,837 (3/06: 3,239)
Saturn 22.5% at 21,123 (3/06: 16,629)
Suzuki -2.3% at 11,030 (3/06: 10,887)
Toyota 8.7% at 213,820 (3/06: 189,694)
Volkswagen -19.3% at 17,355 (3/06: 20,730)
Volvo -7.6% at 10,661 (3/06: 11,124)

Not yet reported: Subaru

COMPANIES
BMW Group -1.4% at 28980 (3/06: 28,352)
Chrysler Group -8% at 206,435 (3/06: 216,412)
Ford Motor Co -12.24% at 264,975 (3/06: 291,146)
General Motors -7.7% at 349,867 (3/06: 365,375)
Honda America 7.3% at 143,392 (3/06: 128,806)
Nissan North America 3.9% at 111,119 (3/06: 103,095)
Toyota Motor Co. 7.7% at 242,675 (3/06: 217,286)

Note: There were 27 selling days in March 2006 versus 28 selling days in March 2007, so all percentages shown represent the change in a brand or company’s Daily Average Sales rate (average number of vehicles sold per day), rather than the change in raw number of vehicles sold.

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Almost all the sales numbers are in for the month of February, and it appears the good and bad news has been spread fairly evenly across the industry. Ford Motor Company and the Chrysler Group received the brunt of bad news, with sales down 13.5% and 8%, respectively. In Ford’s defense, sales to rental fleets were down 30%, so at least the Blue Oval is actively trying to ween itself from an addiction to fleet sales. General Motors, however, managed to eek out a small 3.4% improvement in sales despite being dragged down by a few of its brands like Buick (-29.5%) and HUMMER (-26%). Saturn, however, which sold more than Buick and HUMMER combined, imrpoved an impressive 59.4% thanks to strong sales of the new Aura and VUE. Of the major automakers, Toyota once again improved the most, gaining 12.2% more sales than last February.

Among full-line automakers, General Motors easily sold the most (311,763), with Ford in second (211,150) as usual and Toyota (187,330) easily passing the Chrysler Group (174,506) again for the third spot. Coincidentally, the major brands shook out the same way with GM’s Chevrolet brand (187,088) selling the most, Ford coming in second (173,794) and Toyota (164,812) third.

Biggest Winner
Saturn 59.4% at 22,225 (2/06: 13,945)

Biggest Loser
Buick -29.5% at 15,108 (2/06: 21,425)

BRANDS
Acura -3.4% at 13,658 (2/06: 14,146)
Audi 37.5% at 6,609 (2/06: 4,806)
BMW 15.2% at 22,274 (2/06: 19,328)
Buick -29.5% at 15,108 (2/06: 21,425)
Cadillac -13% at 14,142 (2/06: 16,251)
Chevrolet 5.3% at 187,088 (2/06: 177,710)
Chrysler -16% at 46,112 (2/06: 55,127)
Dodge -5% at 90,618 (2/06: 95,622)
Ford -15.2% at 173,794 (2/06: 204,846)
GMC 22.3% at 41,279 (2/06: 33,751)
Honda 4.2% at 96,368 (2/06: 92,498)
HUMMER -26% at 4,177 (2/06: 5,645)
Hyundai 1.4% at 34,500 (2/06: 34,014)
Infiniti 5% at 9,704 (2/06: 9,244)
Isuzu 15.4% at 960 (2/06: 832)
Jaguar -28.3% at 1,191 (2/06: 1,662)
Jeep -5% at 37,776 (2/06: 39,618)
Kia 13.5% at 23,512 (2/06: 20,719)
Land Rover -10% at 3,106 (2/06: 3,453)
Lexus 6.6% at 22,518 (2/06: 21,127)
Lincoln 10.8% at 10,763 (2/06: 9,713)
Mercedes -.3% at 17,304 (2/06: 17,356)
Mercury -13.2% at 13,843 (2/06: 15,950)
MINI -12% at 2,368 (2/06: 2,690)
Mitsubishi 22% at 9,726 (2/06: 7,976)
Nissan .7% at 75,514 (2/06: 74,997)
Pontiac -15.6% at 24,563 (2/06: 29,107)
Porsche -27% at 1,967 (2/06: 2,700)
Saab -20.3% at 2,221 (2/06: 2,787)
Saturn 59.4% at 22,225 (2/06: 13,945)
Subaru -5.6% at 12,875 (2/06: 13,635)
Suzuki 1% at 8,585 (2/06: 8,542)
Toyota 13% at 164,812 (2/06: 145,813)
Volkswagen .2% at 16,367 (2/06: 16,329)
Volvo .7% at 8,453 (2/06: 8,397)

Not Yet Reported: Mazda

COMPANIES
BMW Group 11.9% at 24,642 (2/06: 22,018)
Chrysler Group -8% at 174,506 (2/06: 190,367)
Ford Motor Co -13.5% at 211,150 (2/06: 244,021)
General Motors 3.4% at 311,763 (2/06: 301,545)
Honda America 3.2% at 110,026 (2/06: 106,644)
Nissan North America 1.2% at 85,218 (2/06: 84,241)
Toyota Motor Co. 12.2% at 187,330 (2/06: 166,940)

Note: There were 24 selling days in both February 2006 and February 2007, which means no additional calculations were needed to correct these numbers.

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Ford and General Motors see sales fall sharply in January, Toyota continues growth, Mitsubishi makes a comeback

The numbers for January look worse than they actually are. Both Ford an General Motors saw sales fall around 20% compared to last year, but the drop is the result of a planned reduction in sales to fleet companies by both automakers, which will in turn improve the resale value of their vehicles reaching showrooms this year. The Chrysler Group managed to minimize the damage this month, thanks in large part to the performance of its Jeep brand that was up 14% this month. Some analysts and journalists are making noise that Ford fell to fourth place in sales this month behind GM, Toyota and the Chrysler Group. This is only true if sales of the Premier Automotive Group are not counted along with Ford, Lincoln and Mercury sales, something that was never done before this month when it seems convenient to make a sensational headline.

As usual, Toyota was up almost 5% this month and earned the title of Nation’s Best-Selling Brand thanks to Ford and Chevy giving up all those fleet sales. Both of Nissan’s brands had a good month, propelling Nissan North America up almost 5%. Finally, we have to give Suzuki credit for carrying its momentum into the new year with sales up 9% and Mitsubishi, a company we all thought was on life support in the U.S. but came out of January kicking with sales up nearly 21%.

Biggest Winner
Mercedes-Benz 31.4% at 17,069 (1/06: 12,469)

Biggest Loser
Pontiac -38.5% at 24,060 (1/06: 37,545)

BRANDS
Acura -10.6% at 13,017 (1/06: 13,981)
Audi .97% at 6,399 (1/06: 6,084)
BMW -1.8% at 19,761 (1/06: 19,274)
Buick -32.8% at 12,013 (1/06: 17,173)
Cadillac -10.5% at 13,740 (1/06: 14,733)
Chevrolet -17.9% at 148,488 (1/06: 173,622)
Chrysler -18% at 41,486 (1/06: 48,628)
Dodge -1% at 79,461 (1/06: 77,064)
Ford -25.2% at 132,006 (1/06: 169,412)
GMC -2.3% at 28,488 (1/06: 27,978)
Honda -.17% at 87,773 (1/06: 84,413)
HUMMER -26.7% at 3,980 (1/06: 5,214)
Hyundai -11.9% at 27,721 (1/06: 30,208)
Infiniti 6.8% at 8,964 (1/06: 8,058)
Isuzu 1.5% at 667 (1/06: 631)
Jaguar -16.4% at 1,390 (1/06: 1,596)
Jeep 14% at 35,361 (1/06: 29,773)
Kia 19.4% at 22,524 (1/06: 18,110)
Land Rover -10.8% at 3,433 (1/06: 3,693)
Lexus 8% at 22,118 (1/06: 19,658)
Lincoln 1.4% at 9,594 (1/06: 9,345)
Mazda 1.7% at 19,265 (1/06: 18,177)
Mercedes-Benz 31.4% at 17,069 (1/06: 12,469)
Mercury -5.3% at 12,604 (1/06: 12,781)
MINI -33% at 2,050 (1/06: 2,944)
Mitsubishi 20.7% at 9,383 (1/06: 7,463)
Nissan 4.3% at 73,680 (1/06: 67,834)
Pontiac -38.5% at 24,060 (1/06: 37,545)
Porsche -10.7% at 3,103 (1/06: 3,337)
Saab 3.3% at 2,362 (1/06: 2,196)
Saturn -22.2% at 13,705 (1/06: 16,907)
Subaru -6.4% at 12,074 (1/06: 12,384)
Suzuki 8.9% at 8,179 (1/06: 7,210)
Toyota 4.7% at 153,732 (1/06: 140,967)
Volkswagen -1.8% at 16,610 (1/06: 16,237)
Volvo -15.2% at 7,808 (1/06: 8,844)

COMPANIES
BMW Group -5.8% at 21,811 (1/06: 22,218)
Chrysler Group -3.5% at 156,308 (1/06: 155,465)
Ford Motor Co -22.1% at 166,835 (1/06: 205,671)
General Motors -19.7% at 247,464 (1/06: 296,003)
Honda America -1.7% at 100,790 (1/06: 98,394)
Nissan North America 4.5% at 82,644 (1/06: 75,891)
Toyota Motor Co. 5.1% at 175,850 (1/06: 160,625)

Note: All percentages represent the chance in the Daily Average Sales rate on account of there being 25 selling days in January 2007 compared with 24 in January 2006. Thus, the percentage is obtained by dividing the number of sales in each month with the number of available selling days that month, and calculating the difference between the two as a percentage.

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As promised, we bring you to the complete, unabridged sales figures for 2006. Unlike the numbers for the month of December, we’re seeing a lot of little red arrows down there. Still, many of these numbers were expected. General Motors and Ford Motor Company, for instance, were both down for the year, 8.4% and 7.57%, respectively. Toyota Motor Company, meanwhile, ended 2006 up 12.9%. We’ve heard those two sentences all year long, however, why should the annual numbers be any different?

Nevertheless, Ford still reigns supreme as the most beloved brand of 2006 in terms of sales, racking up 2.43 mil sales last year. Chevy came in a very close second selling 2.41 million vehicles, with Toyota not far behind with 2.22 million sales.

Though HUMMER had the biggest sales increase of the year with a 24% jump thanks to the H3, our biggest mad props have to go out to Suzuki, the plucky Japanese automaker that made its goal of 100,000 unit sales in 2006 with 990 units to spare.

Biggest Winner
HUMMER 24.30% at 71,524 (2005: 56,727)

Biggest Loser
Jaguar -31.79% at 20,683 (2005: 30,424)

Check out the complete list of yearly sales figures for every automaker after the jump.

Continue reading By the Numbers: 2006

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