An estimated 1,354,503 new cars and trucks will be sold in the U.S. in February for a Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate, aka SAAR, of 17.7 million, according to a new forecast. The projected February auto sales sales – if accurate – would be a gigantic 18.3% increase from January 2016, and a 7.9 % increase from February 2015. The 17.7 million SAAR would mark the highest in the month of February since 2000. Ford Motor appears to be the biggest gainer here with projected sales of more than 210,000, an increase of ~17% year-over-year.
The so-called retail SAAR would come in at 13.8 million vehicles in February, with fleet transactions accounting for 21.9% of total sales. An estimated 3.5 million used cars will be sold in February, for a SAAR of 37.9 million compared to 3.1 million – or a SAAR of 38.7 million – used car sales in January.
“Typically January and February are relatively slow months in terms of car sales; if that’s true for 2016, and we only go up from here, we are looking at a remarkable year,” said Edmunds.com Senior Analyst Jessica Caldwell.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, 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.
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 during a downshift 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.
