Cobalt sales are starting to rev up
01-05-2005, 11:20 AM
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Cobalt sales are starting to rev up
Staff, wire reports
The brand-new Chevrolet Cobalt premium small cars passed one of its predecessors in December, and has the other one dead in its sights.
The Cobalt, which is built solely at GM's Lordstown Complex, totaled 4,507 sales for the month, beating the Pontiac Sunfire's 3,611 sales, General Motors Corp. reported Tuesday. The Sunfires formerly were built at Lordstown.
The complex's top seller, the Chevrolet Cavalier, is next in line for the Cobalt. A total of 8,754 Cavaliers, which reached the end of its run in October, were sold in December. A total of 21,662 Cavaliers were sold in December 2003.
Cobalt sales were 452 in November, the first month of production.
The Cavalier finished the last year of its 22-year life with 195,275 sales, down 23.9 percent from 2003 when it posted 256,550 sales. The Sunfire ended the year with 36,095 sales, down 17.2 percent from 43,595 in 2003.
The Lordstown Complex built 13,668 Cobalts in December, pushing its two-month Cobalt output to 25,994. It also built 1,126 Pontiac Pursuits for sale in Canada only, giving it a total of 2,575.
The traditional Big Three automakers retained their positions atop the U.S. industry in 2004, but record years for Japanese carmakers helped them continue to chip away at Detroit's hold on the American automotive market.
Thanks to a robust December, sales for the year rose about 1 percent from 2003 to roughly 17 million units.
But the Big Three's share of the U.S. market dwindled to an unprecedented 58.7 percent in 2004, down from 60.2 percent in 2003 and 61.7 percent in 2002, according to the automotive research firm Autodata Corp.
At the same time, Asian brands increased their share of the U.S. market from 32.6 percent in 2003 to 34.6 percent last year. Three years ago, Asian imports accounted for only 30 percent of the U.S. market.
The trend is expected to continue in 2005, though most automakers said Tuesday a blistering December sales pace bodes well for the start of business this year.
December's seasonally adjusted annual sales rate was a 2004-best 18.4 million units, up from 17.4 million a year ago, Autodata said. The rate indicates what sales would be for the full year if they remained at the same pace for all 12 months.
General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co., the nation's two largest automakers, reported lower U.S. sales in 2004 despite an onslaught of new vehicles, while DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group rode the success of the popular Chrysler 300C sedan to the lone gain for the Big Three.
Meanwhile, the American arms of Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. sold more cars and trucks in the United States than ever before.
Toyota's U.S. division sold more than 2 million vehicles for the first time in its 47 years of existence as its sales grew 10 percent for the year. Business in December rose 18 percent.
Chrysler, the smallest of Detroit's Big Three, sold 146,000 more vehicles than Toyota last year. Chrysler's edge in 2003 was roughly 260,000.
Honda's 30-percent rise in sales in December helped propel the automaker to its 11th consecutive year for a sales increase. With 1.4 million U.S. vehicle sales, Honda said business rose 3 percent in 2004.
Nissan North America, aided in part by full-year sales of its full-size Titan pickup and other new vehicles, said sales rose 23.7 percent for the year and 32.7 percent in December.
GM's business declined 1.4 percent in 2004, a disappointment given its industry-leading 29 vehicle introductions. Car sales were down 3.7 percent; truck sales rose less than 1 percent.
Two bright spots were Chevrolet and Cadillac, two brands that received billion-dollar infusions in recent years to increase offerings and appeal. Chevy had its best year since 1988, Cadillac its best since 1990.
Chevy also made considerable progress against Ford in the battle for America's top-selling brand, but Ford retained the distinction for the 18th consecutive year.
GM's total sales for December fell roughly 7 percent, with losses on both the car and truck sides.
No. 2 Ford's U.S. sales fell 4.9 percent for the year and 3.6 percent in December, the 10th monthly decline of 2004.
Ford said sales of its Ford, Lincoln and Mercury cars rose nearly 1 percent in December, helped by late-year arrivals such as the next-generation Ford Mustang and its new flagship sedan, the Ford Five Hundred.
Ford's retail car sales rose on a monthly basis for the first time since January 2003, said Ford's top sales analyst, George Pipas.
But truck sales fell 5 percent in December.
For the year, car sales were off 14 percent, despite Ford's much-touted "Year of the Car'' promotion.
Truck sales fell slightly less than 1 percent for the year, but Ford's F-Series lineup retained its position as America's best-selling vehicle for the 23rd straight year. Truck sales include pickups, vans and sport utility vehicles.
Another high point: Ford set an industry record for full-size pickup sales in 2004, breaking its own mark of three years ago.
For the year, Chrysler's volume was up a little more than 3 percent. It was up 5 percent in December.
All percentages are adjusted and based on the daily sales rate. There were 27 selling days last month and 26 in December 2003. There also was one extra selling day for all of 2004 versus 2003.
GM closed down 41 cents to $39.89 on the New York Stock Exchange Tuesday. Ford shares shed 5 cents to $14.66. DaimlerChrysler's U.S. shares ended off 26 cents to $47.42.
The brand-new Chevrolet Cobalt premium small cars passed one of its predecessors in December, and has the other one dead in its sights.
The Cobalt, which is built solely at GM's Lordstown Complex, totaled 4,507 sales for the month, beating the Pontiac Sunfire's 3,611 sales, General Motors Corp. reported Tuesday. The Sunfires formerly were built at Lordstown.
The complex's top seller, the Chevrolet Cavalier, is next in line for the Cobalt. A total of 8,754 Cavaliers, which reached the end of its run in October, were sold in December. A total of 21,662 Cavaliers were sold in December 2003.
Cobalt sales were 452 in November, the first month of production.
The Cavalier finished the last year of its 22-year life with 195,275 sales, down 23.9 percent from 2003 when it posted 256,550 sales. The Sunfire ended the year with 36,095 sales, down 17.2 percent from 43,595 in 2003.
The Lordstown Complex built 13,668 Cobalts in December, pushing its two-month Cobalt output to 25,994. It also built 1,126 Pontiac Pursuits for sale in Canada only, giving it a total of 2,575.
The traditional Big Three automakers retained their positions atop the U.S. industry in 2004, but record years for Japanese carmakers helped them continue to chip away at Detroit's hold on the American automotive market.
Thanks to a robust December, sales for the year rose about 1 percent from 2003 to roughly 17 million units.
But the Big Three's share of the U.S. market dwindled to an unprecedented 58.7 percent in 2004, down from 60.2 percent in 2003 and 61.7 percent in 2002, according to the automotive research firm Autodata Corp.
At the same time, Asian brands increased their share of the U.S. market from 32.6 percent in 2003 to 34.6 percent last year. Three years ago, Asian imports accounted for only 30 percent of the U.S. market.
The trend is expected to continue in 2005, though most automakers said Tuesday a blistering December sales pace bodes well for the start of business this year.
December's seasonally adjusted annual sales rate was a 2004-best 18.4 million units, up from 17.4 million a year ago, Autodata said. The rate indicates what sales would be for the full year if they remained at the same pace for all 12 months.
General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co., the nation's two largest automakers, reported lower U.S. sales in 2004 despite an onslaught of new vehicles, while DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group rode the success of the popular Chrysler 300C sedan to the lone gain for the Big Three.
Meanwhile, the American arms of Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. sold more cars and trucks in the United States than ever before.
Toyota's U.S. division sold more than 2 million vehicles for the first time in its 47 years of existence as its sales grew 10 percent for the year. Business in December rose 18 percent.
Chrysler, the smallest of Detroit's Big Three, sold 146,000 more vehicles than Toyota last year. Chrysler's edge in 2003 was roughly 260,000.
Honda's 30-percent rise in sales in December helped propel the automaker to its 11th consecutive year for a sales increase. With 1.4 million U.S. vehicle sales, Honda said business rose 3 percent in 2004.
Nissan North America, aided in part by full-year sales of its full-size Titan pickup and other new vehicles, said sales rose 23.7 percent for the year and 32.7 percent in December.
GM's business declined 1.4 percent in 2004, a disappointment given its industry-leading 29 vehicle introductions. Car sales were down 3.7 percent; truck sales rose less than 1 percent.
Two bright spots were Chevrolet and Cadillac, two brands that received billion-dollar infusions in recent years to increase offerings and appeal. Chevy had its best year since 1988, Cadillac its best since 1990.
Chevy also made considerable progress against Ford in the battle for America's top-selling brand, but Ford retained the distinction for the 18th consecutive year.
GM's total sales for December fell roughly 7 percent, with losses on both the car and truck sides.
No. 2 Ford's U.S. sales fell 4.9 percent for the year and 3.6 percent in December, the 10th monthly decline of 2004.
Ford said sales of its Ford, Lincoln and Mercury cars rose nearly 1 percent in December, helped by late-year arrivals such as the next-generation Ford Mustang and its new flagship sedan, the Ford Five Hundred.
Ford's retail car sales rose on a monthly basis for the first time since January 2003, said Ford's top sales analyst, George Pipas.
But truck sales fell 5 percent in December.
For the year, car sales were off 14 percent, despite Ford's much-touted "Year of the Car'' promotion.
Truck sales fell slightly less than 1 percent for the year, but Ford's F-Series lineup retained its position as America's best-selling vehicle for the 23rd straight year. Truck sales include pickups, vans and sport utility vehicles.
Another high point: Ford set an industry record for full-size pickup sales in 2004, breaking its own mark of three years ago.
For the year, Chrysler's volume was up a little more than 3 percent. It was up 5 percent in December.
All percentages are adjusted and based on the daily sales rate. There were 27 selling days last month and 26 in December 2003. There also was one extra selling day for all of 2004 versus 2003.
GM closed down 41 cents to $39.89 on the New York Stock Exchange Tuesday. Ford shares shed 5 cents to $14.66. DaimlerChrysler's U.S. shares ended off 26 cents to $47.42.
01-05-2005, 02:52 PM
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HHAHAHA, cavalier is OUT of production and sold the most of the three, lol 
I wouldnt buy a current Sunfire now either they are built in Mexico, when I was at Lordstown, I stopped that sunday at Pace Motors, they had some of those Mexi Sunfires, one was open and I opened the door and it SAGGED like 1/2" and had to be slammed to shut...GEEZE! At least Lordstown cars were more solid....
if they just build the darn coupe's.....
I wouldnt buy a current Sunfire now either they are built in Mexico, when I was at Lordstown, I stopped that sunday at Pace Motors, they had some of those Mexi Sunfires, one was open and I opened the door and it SAGGED like 1/2" and had to be slammed to shut...GEEZE! At least Lordstown cars were more solid....
if they just build the darn coupe's.....
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