Auto Sales Up in October – Despite Shutdown
Chrysler reports 11 percent rise in October sales, and all estimates indicate auto industry sales rose overall in October at about 13 percent – not all companies have reported as of publication.
Get more details on Chrysler Group sales in the month of October.
Chrysler’s car and truck sales rose 11% in October, just about meeting overall expectations for the U.S. auto industry for the month.
U.S. industry sales increased in October about 13%, despite a two-week U.S. government shutdown that slowed sales for the first half of the month, according to an average of three automotive forecasting companies.
Chrysler said it sold 140,083 new cars and trucks in October as it recorded its 43rd consecutive month-over-month sales increase.
Sales at Chrysler increased 22% for the Ram, 12% for Dodge, 7% for Jeep and 6% for Chrysler. Sales declined 1% for Fiat.
“After a choppy start to the beginning of the month, Chrysler Group sales accelerated in the second half of the month with renewed consumer confidence and the launch of our all-new Jeep Cherokee,” said Reid Bigland, Chrysler’s head of U.S. sales.
Other automakers are expected to report sales throughout today.
Industry analysts say industry sales were sluggish during the first half of the month during the 16-day U.S. government shutdown, but rebounded during the second half of the month.
“The week-by-week data suggests that consumers started to get jittery by the middle of the month,” Jessica Caldwell, senior sales analyst for Edmunds.com said in a report.
LMC Automotive said retail sales for the industry rose only 1.6% during the first two weeks of October. That pace accelerated to a 7.7% increase during the third week of October.
“The government shutdown clearly had an impact on retail sales through government employees directly affected by the shutdown, vehicle shoppers involved in businesses impacted by the shutdown and its impact on consumer confidence,” John Humphrey, senior vice president of the global automotive practice at J.D. Power said in a recent report. “However, sales in the third week of the month strengthened.”
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