CANADA AUTO SALES FOR OCTOBER 2008

One day in advance of Barack Obama's election as President of the United States the election in the USA, some sorry Numbers were revealed regarding auto sales south of the border. To what degree will the president-elect be consulted on the bailout of U.S. automakers? Can't be too sure. However, whatever happens will have an effect on the Canadian market as well. Reasons being: Canada, Ontario more specifically, builds a lot of cars. Secondly, many automobile manufacturers base their importing decisions on what they're accomplishing in the United States. While we're not assuming that anybody's about to pull out of the American market, funny things happen. 

As for the disastrous type of month had by just about everybody (except Mini and Audi) in the States, their Canadian divisions were largely spared. 

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General Motors: -5.9% to 28,115

Chrysler LLC: +1.5% to 15,643

Ford Motor: -10.3% to 15,123

Toyota: +8.8% to 14,539

Honda: +1.7% to 10,293

Mazda: +1.1% to 6,109

Nissan: +3.6% to 6,063

Hyundai: +1.4% to 5,885

Volkswagen: +37.7% to 3,662

Kia: +0.2% to 2,925

BMW: +22.8% to 2,190

Subaru: +23.4% to 1,784

Mercedes-Benz: +15.4% to 1,720

Mitsubishi: -3.1% to 1,338

Suzuki: +21.6% to 1,316

Lexus: +15.8% to 1,304

Acura: -7.3% to 1,162

Audi: +67.7% to 1,075

Infiniti: +60.4% to 770

Mini: +52.7% to 481

Volvo: +4.6% to 453

smart: +1,488.2% to 270

Land Rover: +9.0 % to 217

Porsche: -26.9% to 114

Saab: -38.6% to 105

Jaguar: +37.5% to 55

CANADA AUTO SALES FOR SEPTEMBER 2008

Unlike their counterparts south of the border, most automakers competing in Canada managed to post better sales this September than they did in September of 2007. (For USA auto sales last month, click here.) However, there were some losers. Most notably, Land Rover; Porsche; Saab; and Volvo. General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler like to lump most of their brands together in Canada, so it's difficult to know just how badly Hummer is doing. Regardless, the statistics for Canada's auto sellers for the month of September are below in order of total sales. 

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General Motors: -6.5% to 30,784

Toyota: +13.5% to 18,062

Chrysler: N/C to 17,006

Ford: -6.3% to 12,976

Honda: +3.6% to 12,841

Hyundai: +0.2% to 7,095

Mazda: -4.2% to 6,762

Nissan: +11.9% to 6,654

Kia: +13.3% to 3,772

Volkswagen: +28.3% to 3,662

Acura: +34.3% to 2,048

Mercedes-Benz: +35.4% to 1,800

Subaru: -4.1% to 1,511

Mitsubishi: +16.2% to 1,464

Lexus: +37.6% to 1,351

Suzuki: +23.3% to 1,304

Audi: +53.1% to 949

Infiniti: +58.4% to 746

Volvo: -30.8% to 543

Mini: +27.8% to 409

smart: +871% to 301

Land Rover: -30.1% to 195

Saab: -32.1% to 114

Porsche: -37.5% to 100

Jaguar: +41.4% to 82

CANADA CAR SALES STATISTICS FOR AUGUST 2008

Passenger car sales were down almost 4% in Canada during the month of August. To make it more clear, 80,932 cars were sold in the ten provinces and three territories in the eighth month of this year; last year there were 84,067.

Truck sales plummeted 11.2% from 74,327 last August to 66,046 in the 31 days of August 2008. Much of the lost sales can be attributed to the brands of General Motors, Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep. Automakers based outside of North America saw sales climb 3.4% while the aforementioned previously-known-as-The-Big-Three declined 17.1%. 

Below you can read about each manufacturer's sales statistics arranged by total sales. For the comparable American statistics for August, click here. Frustratingly, the Numbers below don't separate GM's, Chrysler's, or Ford/Lincoln/Mercury divisions. Keep in mind, although many automakers may have excuses for their struggles, Honda mentioned that with greater supply, they'd have sold a lot more cars. Take it for what it's worth.

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General Motors: -17.2% to 31,735

Toyota: +30.2% to 22,037

Ford Motor: -10.3% to 20,725

Chrysler: -24.6% to 15,450

Honda: -18.% to 13,516

Mazda: -10.9% to 7,705

Hyundai: +1.6% to 7,530

Nissan: +8.3% to 6,784

Kia: +2.2% to 3,875

Volkswagen: +3.3% to 3,793

BMW: +2.5% to 1,902

Subaru: +26.3% to 1,861

Mercedes-Benz: +38.2% to 1,653

Mitsubishi: -10.5% to 1,489

Acura: -27% to 1,301

Suzuki: +16.9% to 1,298

Lexus: +14.5% to 1,167

Infiniti: +12% to 699

Audi: -18.9% to 558

Mini: +71.2% to 505

Volvo: -33.9% to 453

smart: +117.5% to 385

Land Rover: -32.1% to 184

Saab: +1.1% to 178

Porsche: -40.4% to 112

Jaguar: +45.6% to 83

CANADA CAR SALES - AUTOMAKERS GROUPED

Not to be completely ignorant of the United States on their special day (Happy Independence Day, folks), but more statistics are available regarding Canada's vehicle sales from last month (some altered) since The Good Car Guy first posted results yesterday. It's difficult to separate the automakers like we did for the American sales stats (see here), so things look a little different below. Auto sales in Canada did drop - the economy is longer roaring - but the difficulties at dealers are not as severe as what you'll see south of the border. Just check the +/- signs to get a better outlook on how many manufacturers are not struggling. Follow this link to see all Numbers posts.

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PERCEIVED FUEL-EFFICIENT AND VALUE BRANDS: 8/11

Mini +50.4%

Suzuki +2%

Honda -0.7%

Hyundai +6.2%

Kia +10.9% 

smart -12%

Mazda -6.1%

Volkswagen +3.2%

Mitsubishi +20.8%

Nissan +9.6%

Subaru +34.9%

THE DOMINATORS: 2/4

Toyota +7.9%

General Motors -23.8%

Ford Motor Company -13.7%

Chrysler LLC +0.1%

PREMIUM AND GUZZLERS: 5/11

Acura -15.3%

Audi -13.6%

BMW +6.3%

Mercedes-Benz +46.6%

Porsche -13%

Saab -39.3%

Infiniti +2.9%

Jaguar +55.4%

Lexus +22.4%

Volvo -13.4%

Land Rover -30%

CANADA CAR SALES FOR JUNE 2008

We're hopeful that more details will make themselves available in the near future regarding all automakers found competing in Canada. For now, here's what we know. General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler's stats are all-inclusive of their brands while Mercedes' figures include smart. Toyota's numbers happen to include Lexus, as well. The Canadian market as a whole stumbled and sales fell 5.7% compared to June of 2007. General Motors and Ford are much to blame: one can easily see how many other manufacturers have + signs beside their Numbers below. To be honest, apart from Dodge's Ram swimming against the tide, light trucks are to blame. Overall sales for that category were down 17.6% to 63,540. Sales of cars went up 4.3% to 95,989.

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Acura: -15% (to 1,600)

Audi: +.03% (to 729)

BMW: +6.3% (to 2,943)

Chrysler LLC: +1% (to 22,194)

Ford Motor Company: -13.7% (to 21,959)

General Motors: -23.8% (to 32,365)

Honda: -1% ( to 14,918)

Infiniti: +3.0% (to 680)

Kia: +10.9% (to 3,772)

Mercedes-Benz: +46.6% (to 2,105)

Mini: +50% (to 621)

Nissan: +10% (to 6,488)

Subaru: +34.9% (to 1,822)

Toyota: +8.8% (to 22,428)

CANADA AUTO SALES FOR MAY/08

Data for the American automobile market has already been revealed here at GCBC. Check out the posts from last night and this morning. The story in Canada is very, very, very different and has been that way all year. Yes, gas prices are on the rise in Canada, too. But it's not so much of a shock to our collective system - we've always paid more than they have south of the border. Although the worldwide economy is having its difficulties, unlike the USA, Canada has not faced a ridiculously awful housing and mortgage crisis.

Thus, the sales statistics for many automakers in Canada are a dose, albeit a small dose, of precious good news. Acura, BMW, Chrysler, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Jaguar, Kia, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Mini, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, and even Volkswagen posted better months this May than they did in May of 2007. As a whole, the Canadian auto market actually dropped 0.5% against the previous May, but that isn't such bad news in light of May/08's status as the second-best May ever and part of what appears likely to be the best ever year for vehicle sales.

Although Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors release their stats as conglomerates, (barring Saab and Volvo) GM's overall posting of a 19.8% decline isn't what good dreams are made of. Ford Motor Company's 6.4% drop isn't lovely, either. Mercedes and Mini are certainly the big winners with sales more than 40% better than the same period in '07. Likewise, Hyundai and Jaguar will be pleased with sales climbs over 20%; Nissan at +19.5%.

The real losers are those with old product or SUV-heavy lineups. Saab plummeted 49.2% with just 154 vehicles sold in the 31 days of May. Land Rover 45.7% drop took the British builder of Range Rovers, LR3s, and LR2s down to just 190 sales. Even Volvo, with relatively new stuff like the C30 and S80 struggled to crack the 800 barrier, sales being down 28.8%.

GM, Ford, and Chrysler brands combined for a 9.3% decline, despite the Chrysler Group's jump of 1,596 sales. Import nameplates joined together for an 8.8% improvement, outselling the Americans by a count of 11,067.

Marketshare allotment for the year-to-date pegs Toyota just 0.7% higher than Ford; 13.7% to 13%. GM has lost three points so far in 2008 but still leads Chrysler by seven points. Honda brings up fifth place with a 1.6% improvement over last year, now garnering more than 1/10th of the Canadian market. 

Passenger cars accounted for 109,459 of the 184,467 vehicles sold in Canada in May. Light truck sales were down 8.8% while cars jumped 6.1% higher than in May of last year.