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Rick ..Are these retail or fleet sales #'s ..any idea ?
Thanks
Roadie
Any sales not necessarily sold to a customer, but Dealers or Fleet are used by the Factory as SOLD! In the past some new models were on Dealers lots that were more than a year old (not now-a-days thank goodness) but they were listed as sold maybe a year before. Usually they don't release the total cars that are "Fleet Sales" however you may see the percentage in some articles. If I come across any info more for March sales I will post it here. This help at all?
__________________
Rick
Nitro Year: 2007 (1 of 113,000 sold)
Nitro Model: R/T 4X4 Stone White
CAT-BACK Exhaust, CAI, Projector Head Lamps
Fully-Equipped w/all factory options
Yes thanks ..I'm just curious as to who is buying .I know from auto mag .sources that Chrysler...Ford ..& Nissan sales are all much improved recently ..
The numbers that you presented were much higher than I expected ..
Roadie
Also at GM, March deliveries to fleets declined 1 percent and represented 27 percent of the company’s total sales – the ninth straight month that fleet sales comprised less than 30 percent of total sales. Companies like to downplay fleet sales, even though in lean times they keep factories humming, because they hurt residual values. A three-year old sedan with heavy rental-car fleet rotation isn't going to be worth as much as a competitor's sedan that doesn't grace airport parking lots.
At Ford, in March, total sales were 212,777, up 19 percent. Retail sales were up 14 percent and fleet sales were up 29 percent (commercial was up 50 percent, government was up 33 percent and daily rental was up 13 percent).
Quote:
Tuesday, Feb 15th, 2011
With fresh products finally hitting the ground, Chrysler says it will greatly reduce its dependence on fleet sales in 2011. Chrysler was forced to ratchet up fleet sales following its 2009 exit from bankruptcy.
Due to a less than competitive vehicle lineup, Chrysler leaned heavily on fleet sales in 2010, with the company’s fleet mix hitting a high of 56 percent of total sales in February. Chrysler ended 2010 with four-straight months of fleet sales under 30 percent of total volume, but still ended the year with 38 percent of sales to fleet customers. The industry average was 19 percent.
However, with new product now arriving on dealer lots across the country, Chrysler is hopeful it will be able to reduce its fleet sales to the industry average in 2011.
“By the end of the year, we will definitely be at industry average,” Fred Diaz, head of Chrysler’s U.S. sales, said. “That’s the goal; that’s our plan.”
Chrysler Unveils New Products at Fleet Preview
March 24, 2011
The Chrysler 200 at the 2011 Fleet Preview in Austin, Texas.
Chrysler's 2011 Fleet Preview in Austin was markedly different than last year's in Detroit, when the automaker somberly announced its post-bankruptcy game plan. Then, much of the product was in "look, don't touch" mode. This week, not only could we finally drive new vehicles, we could take photos. (See enclosed slideshow.) And this year was markedly different in mood. Worldwide sales are up 15 percent and the Chrysler pipeline is flowing again, as the automaker is in the midst of launching 16 new or majorly refreshed vehicles.
The Chrysler Group specifically is targeting 2.8 million total (retail and fleet) sales by 2014. For new brand partner Fiat, the white space is North America; for Chrysler, it's Europe and Latin America. Nonetheless, reflecting the new religion in auto manufacturing, "We are building to demand," said Pete Grady vice president of network development and fleet.
Grady noted the Japan earthquake/tsunami tragedy, and referenced that for Chrysler this is an issue with its parts suppliers. "Supply chain management is taking steps to not interrupt production," Grady said.
The Chrysler fleet Web site, which the automaker admits it lagged behind its competitors, got a major refresh last July and is in the midst of a final revamp. It now includes interactive sales maps and more photos and information. A new program gives 360-degree views of any vehicle in any available paint color.
Chrysler has instituted regional, "low-key" ride and drives by brand, giving fleet managers an opportunity to kick the tires on new product without having to travel very far. The Dodge tour has just finished while the Chrysler tour is happening now.
The fleet dealership count now stands at 486 BusinessLink dealers and 516 medium-duty dealers.
Kicking the Tires
I had driven the Fiat 500 before, and got another chance this week. It's got plenty of personality-the tasteful, sculpted, ergonomically pleasing interior makes you want to be driving down Collins Ave. in Miami Beach. The model we drove was two-tone siren red and cream with a leather steering wheel. My driving partner was 6' 6" and he actually fit behind the wheel, though his head scraped against the moonroof. (I liked the moonroof's pullover netting.) Not quite the performance vehicle the Mini is (but a few grand cheaper!), the car hugged had some pep off the line, helped by the five-speed stick, and a stiff suspension that kept it hugging the corners. The rental guys were enthusiastic about working some into fleet. For commercial fleets, it's perfect as a city car-just slap a company logo on the side and get noticed.
The Dodge Charger Police Pursuit vehicle was generating a lot of excitement from the cops and city fleet managers. The Charger is a vehicle that "cops want to drive." One referenced that the six cylinder on the older model was a bit sluggish, though this one "shot right out of the gate" with the Pentastar Six. Moving up to the Hemi, the good guys are winning all pursuits. The cops liked the fact that the Pursuit Charger is built stateside, improving order to delivery over a major competitor.
The Chrysler 200 enters the extremely competitive midsize sedan segment as "much improved over its predecessor," according to many comments after test drives. The new 200 is a decidedly non-flashy version of its bigger brother, the 300, though the exterior is sportier than the Sebring. The interior is Spartan but clean, and classier. The ride is quiet. The most pleasant surprise was the Pentastar V-6. It gets you up to speed surprisingly fast and, if we had a more open road to play, would keep on giving-and it gets 19/29 mpg.
The Dodge Durango has been reborn in a unibody construction, though it still carries serious capabilities-the Hemi V-8 will tow up to 7,400 lbs. Fuel economy on my top-of-the-line V-8 Durango Citadel was 14/19 and the price tag was just north of $47,000. But you can cram a lot in there: 85 cubic feet storage with the second and third seats stowed. For the more fuel conscious, the Pentastar six lists at 23 mpg on the highway.
For delivery fleets, the 2012 Ram C/V cargo van, a new work van based off the Dodge Caravan, is aimed squarely at the small van market and the Ford Transit Connect. Though it doesn't have the exterior height of the Transit Connect, it does offer greater overall cargo capacity (143.8 cu. ft. vs. 129.6 for the TC), more horsepower through the Pentastar six (a whopping 283 hp vs. 136 hp), higher payload (1,800 lbs. vs. 1,600) and is tow-rated where the TC isn't. Fuel economy is slightly less than the TC, but when you're not hauling, try "Eco mode" to sip gas. A more accessible oil drain plug allows for DIY oil changes, but you may last longer between changes-the system measures oil viscosity, which could allow 8,000-mile intervals under some driving conditions. The price tag for the Ram C/V is $21,800, or $600 more for a lot more capability, as Chrysler puts it.
A lot of cars featured UConnect, Chrysler's version of Ford's Sync. The system, through a 7.4" touch screen, allows for voice-activated, hands-free cell phone calls (you can pair up to seven phones), and control navigation and the entertainment system by voice. It's Wi-Fi enabled and has a 30 gig hard drive. An upgrade now, these types of systems will become ubiquitous in the way we control communication, navigation and entertainment in any car in the near future.
Chrysler sold 6,750 copies of its new 200 sedan, up 191 percent over February. That's also a 78 percent increase over Chrysler Sebring sales in March 2010.
DETROIT — Rapper Eminem's now-famous "Imported from Detroit" Super Bowl commercial actually may have helped Chrysler Group sell some cars.
In March, Chrysler sold 6,750 copies of its 200 sedan -- the car Eminem drove down Detroit's Woodward Avenue in the ad — up 191 percent over February. That's also a 78 percent increase over Chrysler Sebring sales in March 2010.
Chrysler considers the 200 a new model, but it's really a re-engineered version of the old Sebring, which flopped in the retail marketplace and became popular with fleet customers.
Chrysler engineers reworked every aspect of the car, so much so that CEO Sergio Marchionne decided the car should be renamed the 200.
In a press release, Chrysler said "the 200's celebrity and significant improvements translate into sales."
Overall, Chrysler's sales rose 31 percent over March last year to 121,730 units. That was the best sales month since May 2008 and the 12th consecutive month of year-over-year sales increases, the automaker said.
Among the highlights for March was Fiat's return to the U.S. market. Fiat sold exactly 500 Fiat 500 small cars in March, a number that Chrysler spokesman Ralph Kisiel said was a coincidence.
The 31 percent gain in Chrysler's overall U.S. sales was also the biggest of any major automaker except the Hyundai-Kia Group, where sales advanced 37 percent. But it's still short of the roughly 45 percent sales increase Chrysler Group is shooting for this year.
That's the goal Chrysler gave dealers at the National Automobile Dealers Association make meeting in San Francisco in February. For the first three months of 2011, Chrysler sales have increased 23 percent.
David Kelleher, owner of David Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep in Glen Mills, Pa., and a member of the Chrysler National Dealer Council, said Chrysler executives are not backing off the ambitious goal it laid out for dealers at NADA.
"They seem resolute in their numbers, so there's a little catch-up," said Kelleher, who acknowledged it could be a challenge to hit the 45 percent increase.
Chrysler is hoping its new model offensive will boost sales now that dealers have sufficient stocks of 2011 models. Chrysler launched 16 new or revamped models in 2011, including the 200 sedan.
Dealers are still short of a few models, including the 2011 Chrysler 300 sedan, which is just now arriving in dealerships.
"I think they expected to have more 300s on the ground by now," Kelleher said. Dealers report they're now receiving more 300s. When they get the cars, the company will launch its 300 TV ads.
Other new models gaining some momentum include the Dodge Durango SUV, which wasn't available a year ago. Dodge sold 4,392 Durangos in March, up 61 percent from February.
The Ram full-sized pickup continued to be Chrysler Group's top seller with 21,898 units sold in March, up 23 percent from a year ago.
The Dodge brand remained the biggest seller with 44,102, up 49 percent from last year. The Chrysler brand sold 20,463, up 3 percent from last March; Jeep sold 33,458, up 36 percent; and Ram, 23,510, up 24 percent.
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March: Nitro Sales Increase Again!
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