AutoData said the seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) was 13.8 million units in May, putting it under the 14 million mark for the first time in 2012. Sales for all brands unadjusted for days rose 25.7% y-o-y and 13.4% ytd.
Five of the Top Ten selling vehicles in the U.S. during May came from the Detroit Three as strong pickup truck sales continued and the Chevrolet Malibu and Ford Fusion had solid months.
As it has for 30 years, the F-150 led the list, and strong sales of the Chevrolet Silverado allowed it to nudge Honda out of third place with the Toyota Camry still in second place as it was in April. The Dodge Ram also reappeared in the Top Ten for the first time since February. All of the other spots were taken by Honda and Toyota, each with three models in the Top Ten.
Offshore brands maintained their lead in the U.S. auto market, holding to 54.5% of all vehicles sold in the United States last month with sales of 727,607, according to AutoData. Asian automakers held a 45.5% share, up slightly from 45.3% in April and up 40.7% from production disrupted last May. They sold 605,570 units, up from 536,069 in April. For the year-to-date, Asians are up 46%.
European brands sold 122,037 units, up from 118,017 last month, with a 9.3 percent improvement for the year to date. They held a 9.1 percent share of the market, however, a slight decrease from their 10% share ytd. Domestic brands finished the month with a 45.5% share of the market and sales of 606,993 units.
“Despite disappointing jobs numbers, Americans are still buying new cars,” said AIADA President Cody Lusk. “A combination of new models, low gas prices, and pent up demand are driving sales.”
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, publisher (kzhw@aol.com), is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
Zino is at home on test tracks, knows his way around U.S. Congressional hearing rooms, auto company headquarters, plant floors, as well as industry research and development labs where the real mobility work is done. He can quote from court decisions, refer to instrumented road tests, analyze financial results, and profile executive personalities and corporate cultures.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
