Gas Prices making a dent ... finally!

GM, Ford sales tumble in September; Asian brands see smaller drop
October 03, 2005 11:25 PM EDT
DETROIT - High gas prices and a summer of heavy discounting sent sales of
sport utility vehicles plummeting last month for U.S. automakers. Asian
manufacturers, who had avoided the employee-pricing lures Detroit offered,
saw their results less affected.

Several automakers reported strong car sales in their monthly reports
released Monday, but SUVs took a hit industrywide in the U.S. market as gas
prices skyrocketed following Hurricane Katrina. Sales of the GMC Envoy and
Chevrolet Tahoe fell more than 50 percent compared to last September. The
Cadillac Escalade, Mazda Tribute, Ford Explorer, Ford Expedition, Toyota
Sequoia and Nissan Armada all saw their sales fall by 18 percent or more.
Dodge Durango sales were down 11 percent.

General Motors Corp. sales were down 24 percent overall. Its SUV and truck
sales fell 30 percent while its car sales dropped 14 percent. GM's overall
sales were flat for the first nine months of the year.

GM said it knew September would be a challenge after a summer of heavily
promoted discounting. GM began letting consumers pay the employee price in
June and ended the promotion Friday.

"We're coming off the three strongest months in the history of the
industry," said Paul Ballew, GM's executive director of market and industry
analysis.

Ford Motor Co. also took a hit, with sales down nearly 20 percent in
September. Ford, Lincoln and Mercury car sales rose 6 percent, but sales of
trucks and SUVs fell nearly 28 percent. The company's overall sales were
also flat for the first nine months of the year.

Ford attributed the declines to the strong summer. Ford began allowing
customers to pay the employee price in July, and the incentive helped
deplete the automaker's 2005 inventory. George Pipas, Ford's U.S. sales
analysis manager, said the company expects SUV sales will stay soft in the
near term.

Ballew cautioned that gas prices aren't the only reason for falling SUV
sales. He said an aging lineup of SUVs and more options in car-based
crossovers also are affecting the segment.

Strong pickup sales were further proof that gas prices aren't the only
factor in the SUV's decline. The Dodge Ram pickup had its best month ever
and its sales were up 5 percent, DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group said.
Toyota said sales of its Tacoma pickup rose more than 21 percent.

Chrysler bucked the trend among U.S. automakers, reporting a 4 percent
increase in September sales, led by a 26 percent jump in car sales. The
Dodge Neon, which Chrysler stopped making two weeks ago, saw a 69 percent
increase. Chrysler's truck and SUV sales were down 1.8 percent, but its
overall sales were up 7.5 percent for the year.

Asian automakers also saw weak SUV sales, but none of the payback that U.S.
automakers had to contend with. Toyota Motor Corp.'s sales were up 10
percent in September, thanks to a 22 percent increase in car sales. Toyota's
truck sales fell 4 percent. The Japanese automaker's sales were up 11
percent in the first nine months of the year, and the company said it set a
third-quarter U.S. sales record.

Sales of the hybrid Toyota Prius surged 90 percent.

Nissan Motor Co. said its sales were up 16.4 percent in September, led by a
26.5 percent increase in car sales. While sales of the Armada, its largest
SUV, were down, sales of the midsize Pathfinder SUV more than doubled, which
helped lift Nissan's truck sales by 3 percent.

Honda Motor Co.'s sales rose 11.7 percent thanks to positive response to the
redesigned 2006 Civic, which helped boost car sales by 20 percent. Honda's
truck sales were flat for the month and its overall sales were up 6.3
percent for the January-September period.

Hyundai Motor Co.'s sales were up 9 percent in September. The South Korean
automaker's overall sales were up 10 percent for the year.

Volkswagen AG was the only automaker that didn't report U.S. sales on
Monday. Spokesman Tony Fouladpour said the results would be delayed until
Tuesday because Monday was a German holiday.

There were 25 selling days in September 2005, the same number as September
2004.

In article <P2o0f.9274$q1.8752@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net>,
Philip <1chip-state1@earthlink.net> wrote:
[color=blue]
> GM, Ford sales tumble in September; Asian brands see smaller drop
> October 03, 2005 11:25 PM EDT[/color]

What was the source of the article?

Thanks.

Brent

Brent Secombe, 10/4/2005, 7:30:37 AM,
<041020050730375965%bsecombover@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
[color=blue]
> In article <P2o0f.9274$q1.8752@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net>,
> Philip <1chip-state1@earthlink.net> wrote:
>[color=green]
> > GM, Ford sales tumble in September; Asian brands see smaller drop
> > October 03, 2005 11:25 PM EDT[/color]
>
> What was the source of the article?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Brent[/color]

[url]http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20051003/bs_nm/autos_sales_d[/url]
c_4

--
"Golf balls are attracted to water as unerringly as the eye of a
middle-aged man to a female bosom." -- Michael Green

"Brent Secombe" <bsecombover@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:041020050730375965%bsecombover@yahoo.co.uk...[color=blue]
> In article <P2o0f.9274$q1.8752@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net>,
> Philip <1chip-state1@earthlink.net> wrote:
>[color=green]
>> GM, Ford sales tumble in September; Asian brands see smaller drop
>> October 03, 2005 11:25 PM EDT[/color]
>
> What was the source of the article?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Brent[/color]

Associated Press, yesterday.

On Tue, 04 Oct 2005 07:30:37 -0400, Brent Secombe wrote:
[color=blue]
> In article <P2o0f.9274$q1.8752@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net>,
> Philip <1chip-state1@earthlink.net> wrote:
>[color=green]
>> GM, Ford sales tumble in September; Asian brands see smaller drop
>> October 03, 2005 11:25 PM EDT[/color]
>
> What was the source of the article?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Brent[/color]


With Honda and Nissan leading the way!

With all that domestics still sold more vehicles than all of the various
import brands combined. I addition Chevrolet earned the number one car
brand spot over Toyota. GM still is number manufacture as well as first in
total car sales and total truck sales. Ford in still the number two
manufacture, as well as the number one in individual vehicle sales with the
F150. The number one mid size and small SUV with the Explorer and the
Escape. ;)

mike hunt



mike hunt


"Philip" <1chip-state1@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:P2o0f.9274$q1.8752@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net...[color=blue]
> GM, Ford sales tumble in September; Asian brands see smaller drop
> October 03, 2005 11:25 PM EDT
> DETROIT - High gas prices and a summer of heavy discounting sent sales of
> sport utility vehicles plummeting last month for U.S. automakers. Asian
> manufacturers, who had avoided the employee-pricing lures Detroit offered,
> saw their results less affected.
>
> Several automakers reported strong car sales in their monthly reports
> released Monday, but SUVs took a hit industrywide in the U.S. market as
> gas prices skyrocketed following Hurricane Katrina. Sales of the GMC Envoy
> and Chevrolet Tahoe fell more than 50 percent compared to last September.
> The Cadillac Escalade, Mazda Tribute, Ford Explorer, Ford Expedition,
> Toyota Sequoia and Nissan Armada all saw their sales fall by 18 percent or
> more. Dodge Durango sales were down 11 percent.
>
> General Motors Corp. sales were down 24 percent overall. Its SUV and truck
> sales fell 30 percent while its car sales dropped 14 percent. GM's overall
> sales were flat for the first nine months of the year.
>
> GM said it knew September would be a challenge after a summer of heavily
> promoted discounting. GM began letting consumers pay the employee price in
> June and ended the promotion Friday.
>
> "We're coming off the three strongest months in the history of the
> industry," said Paul Ballew, GM's executive director of market and
> industry analysis.
>
> Ford Motor Co. also took a hit, with sales down nearly 20 percent in
> September. Ford, Lincoln and Mercury car sales rose 6 percent, but sales
> of trucks and SUVs fell nearly 28 percent. The company's overall sales
> were also flat for the first nine months of the year.
>
> Ford attributed the declines to the strong summer. Ford began allowing
> customers to pay the employee price in July, and the incentive helped
> deplete the automaker's 2005 inventory. George Pipas, Ford's U.S. sales
> analysis manager, said the company expects SUV sales will stay soft in the
> near term.
>
> Ballew cautioned that gas prices aren't the only reason for falling SUV
> sales. He said an aging lineup of SUVs and more options in car-based
> crossovers also are affecting the segment.
>
> Strong pickup sales were further proof that gas prices aren't the only
> factor in the SUV's decline. The Dodge Ram pickup had its best month ever
> and its sales were up 5 percent, DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group said.
> Toyota said sales of its Tacoma pickup rose more than 21 percent.
>
> Chrysler bucked the trend among U.S. automakers, reporting a 4 percent
> increase in September sales, led by a 26 percent jump in car sales. The
> Dodge Neon, which Chrysler stopped making two weeks ago, saw a 69 percent
> increase. Chrysler's truck and SUV sales were down 1.8 percent, but its
> overall sales were up 7.5 percent for the year.
>
> Asian automakers also saw weak SUV sales, but none of the payback that
> U.S. automakers had to contend with. Toyota Motor Corp.'s sales were up 10
> percent in September, thanks to a 22 percent increase in car sales.
> Toyota's truck sales fell 4 percent. The Japanese automaker's sales were
> up 11 percent in the first nine months of the year, and the company said
> it set a third-quarter U.S. sales record.
>
> Sales of the hybrid Toyota Prius surged 90 percent.
>
> Nissan Motor Co. said its sales were up 16.4 percent in September, led by
> a 26.5 percent increase in car sales. While sales of the Armada, its
> largest SUV, were down, sales of the midsize Pathfinder SUV more than
> doubled, which helped lift Nissan's truck sales by 3 percent.
>
> Honda Motor Co.'s sales rose 11.7 percent thanks to positive response to
> the redesigned 2006 Civic, which helped boost car sales by 20 percent.
> Honda's truck sales were flat for the month and its overall sales were up
> 6.3 percent for the January-September period.
>
> Hyundai Motor Co.'s sales were up 9 percent in September. The South Korean
> automaker's overall sales were up 10 percent for the year.
>
> Volkswagen AG was the only automaker that didn't report U.S. sales on
> Monday. Spokesman Tony Fouladpour said the results would be delayed until
> Tuesday because Monday was a German holiday.
>
> There were 25 selling days in September 2005, the same number as September
> 2004.
>
>[/color]

"Mike Hunter" <mikehunt2@mailcity.com> wrote in message
news:_YCcndlfbbJvOd_eUSdV9g@ptd.net...[color=blue]
> With all that domestics still sold more vehicles than all of the various
> import brands combined. I addition Chevrolet earned the number one car
> brand spot over Toyota. GM still is number manufacture as well as first
> in total car sales and total truck sales. Ford in still the number two
> manufacture, as well as the number one in individual vehicle sales with
> the F150. The number one mid size and small SUV with the Explorer and the
> Escape. ;)[/color]
Only in this country. Anywhere else they don't stack up. The only thing that
drives the big three's sales is huge, powerful, gas guzzling engines and
sales to people who "just have to buy American." If you took those things
away, why would you ever look past Toyota and Honda for a new vehicle?

[color=blue]
> Only in this country. Anywhere else they don't stack up. The only thing that
> drives the big three's sales is huge, powerful, gas guzzling engines and
> sales to people who "just have to buy American." If you took those things
> away, why would you ever look past Toyota and Honda for a new vehicle?[/color]

I don't think you'll be able to take that "good feeling" of buying
American away from people, especially the ignorant. But, over the long
run, The Economist predicts that either GM or Ford will fold within the
decade. Given the overhead that the big 3 run at, I wouldn't be
surprised. These organizations are too ingrained into the gas guzzlers
to adapt to change. Ford may learn to adapt with their earlier embrace
of hybrid technology, but GM will almost certainly die a painful death
before they even dent the fuel cell arena.

Apparently most buyers do not agree with you opinion, since GM is number
one in the world as well

mike hunt


"Bob Palmer" <jenbobkatelyn@adelphia.net> wrote in message
news:frSdnTn1n-PZNt_eRVn-hQ@adelphia.com...[color=blue]
>
> "Mike Hunter" <mikehunt2@mailcity.com> wrote in message
> news:_YCcndlfbbJvOd_eUSdV9g@ptd.net...[color=green]
>> With all that domestics still sold more vehicles than all of the various
>> import brands combined. I addition Chevrolet earned the number one car
>> brand spot over Toyota. GM still is number manufacture as well as first
>> in total car sales and total truck sales. Ford in still the number two
>> manufacture, as well as the number one in individual vehicle sales with
>> the F150. The number one mid size and small SUV with the Explorer and the
>> Escape. ;)[/color]
> Only in this country. Anywhere else they don't stack up. The only thing
> that drives the big three's sales is huge, powerful, gas guzzling engines
> and sales to people who "just have to buy American." If you took those
> things away, why would you ever look past Toyota and Honda for a new
> vehicle?
>[/color]

Too bad their bonds are too junky to be called junk bonds according to
analysists.


"Mike Hunter" <mikehunt2@mailcity.com> wrote in message
news:_YCcndlfbbJvOd_eUSdV9g@ptd.net...[color=blue]
> With all that domestics still sold more vehicles than all of the various
> import brands combined. I addition Chevrolet earned the number one car
> brand spot over Toyota. GM still is number manufacture as well as first
> in total car sales and total truck sales. Ford in still the number two
> manufacture, as well as the number one in individual vehicle sales with
> the F150. The number one mid size and small SUV with the Explorer and the
> Escape. ;)
>
> mike hunt
>
>
>
> mike hunt
>
>
> "Philip" <1chip-state1@earthlink.net> wrote in message
> news:P2o0f.9274$q1.8752@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net...[color=green]
>> GM, Ford sales tumble in September; Asian brands see smaller drop
>> October 03, 2005 11:25 PM EDT
>> DETROIT - High gas prices and a summer of heavy discounting sent sales of
>> sport utility vehicles plummeting last month for U.S. automakers. Asian
>> manufacturers, who had avoided the employee-pricing lures Detroit
>> offered, saw their results less affected.
>>
>> Several automakers reported strong car sales in their monthly reports
>> released Monday, but SUVs took a hit industrywide in the U.S. market as
>> gas prices skyrocketed following Hurricane Katrina. Sales of the GMC
>> Envoy and Chevrolet Tahoe fell more than 50 percent compared to last
>> September. The Cadillac Escalade, Mazda Tribute, Ford Explorer, Ford
>> Expedition, Toyota Sequoia and Nissan Armada all saw their sales fall by
>> 18 percent or more. Dodge Durango sales were down 11 percent.
>>
>> General Motors Corp. sales were down 24 percent overall. Its SUV and
>> truck sales fell 30 percent while its car sales dropped 14 percent. GM's
>> overall sales were flat for the first nine months of the year.
>>
>> GM said it knew September would be a challenge after a summer of heavily
>> promoted discounting. GM began letting consumers pay the employee price
>> in June and ended the promotion Friday.
>>
>> "We're coming off the three strongest months in the history of the
>> industry," said Paul Ballew, GM's executive director of market and
>> industry analysis.
>>
>> Ford Motor Co. also took a hit, with sales down nearly 20 percent in
>> September. Ford, Lincoln and Mercury car sales rose 6 percent, but sales
>> of trucks and SUVs fell nearly 28 percent. The company's overall sales
>> were also flat for the first nine months of the year.
>>
>> Ford attributed the declines to the strong summer. Ford began allowing
>> customers to pay the employee price in July, and the incentive helped
>> deplete the automaker's 2005 inventory. George Pipas, Ford's U.S. sales
>> analysis manager, said the company expects SUV sales will stay soft in
>> the near term.
>>
>> Ballew cautioned that gas prices aren't the only reason for falling SUV
>> sales. He said an aging lineup of SUVs and more options in car-based
>> crossovers also are affecting the segment.
>>
>> Strong pickup sales were further proof that gas prices aren't the only
>> factor in the SUV's decline. The Dodge Ram pickup had its best month ever
>> and its sales were up 5 percent, DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group
>> said. Toyota said sales of its Tacoma pickup rose more than 21 percent.
>>
>> Chrysler bucked the trend among U.S. automakers, reporting a 4 percent
>> increase in September sales, led by a 26 percent jump in car sales. The
>> Dodge Neon, which Chrysler stopped making two weeks ago, saw a 69 percent
>> increase. Chrysler's truck and SUV sales were down 1.8 percent, but its
>> overall sales were up 7.5 percent for the year.
>>
>> Asian automakers also saw weak SUV sales, but none of the payback that
>> U.S. automakers had to contend with. Toyota Motor Corp.'s sales were up
>> 10 percent in September, thanks to a 22 percent increase in car sales.
>> Toyota's truck sales fell 4 percent. The Japanese automaker's sales were
>> up 11 percent in the first nine months of the year, and the company said
>> it set a third-quarter U.S. sales record.
>>
>> Sales of the hybrid Toyota Prius surged 90 percent.
>>
>> Nissan Motor Co. said its sales were up 16.4 percent in September, led by
>> a 26.5 percent increase in car sales. While sales of the Armada, its
>> largest SUV, were down, sales of the midsize Pathfinder SUV more than
>> doubled, which helped lift Nissan's truck sales by 3 percent.
>>
>> Honda Motor Co.'s sales rose 11.7 percent thanks to positive response to
>> the redesigned 2006 Civic, which helped boost car sales by 20 percent.
>> Honda's truck sales were flat for the month and its overall sales were up
>> 6.3 percent for the January-September period.
>>
>> Hyundai Motor Co.'s sales were up 9 percent in September. The South
>> Korean automaker's overall sales were up 10 percent for the year.
>>
>> Volkswagen AG was the only automaker that didn't report U.S. sales on
>> Monday. Spokesman Tony Fouladpour said the results would be delayed until
>> Tuesday because Monday was a German holiday.
>>
>> There were 25 selling days in September 2005, the same number as
>> September 2004.
>>
>>[/color]
>
>[/color]

Mike -

I think it is very telling that GM stock has done not appreciated in
value at all over the last 42 years, and in fact has fallen very
dramatically when inflation is considered. The entire company has a
market value of $17 billion dollars, a mere pittance considering its
size and employment. Ford stock has WAY outperformed GM stock since
the early 80s.

[url]http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?t=my&s=GM&l=on&z=m&q=l&c=f[/url]

Good guess but trucks still outsell cars in the US. Manufactures know what
their customers want to buy and that is what they offer. GM and Ford offer
small cars for those that want them but more buyers want the larger safer
vehicles. Ford does offer a hybrid SUV but Ford buyer apparently are smart
enough to know it is not worth $3,000 more than buying the same vehicle with
a V6 and ALL of it fuel for three years for the same amount or less. With
the V6 they not need to worry about replacing a battery pack some where down
the road, for $4,000, in the hybrid.

Why do you think Toyota offers so many trucks and car based trucks? Buyers
want trucks, Honda is even offering their Accord based van as a truck called
the Ridgerunner. GM offers more high mileage vehicles than does Toyota and
Ford offers many fuel efficient cars with decent performance, as well. That
is why both GM and Ford far outsell Toyota in cars and trucks. Many buyers
do not want to settle for an under powered truck or car with a 4 cy engine
to get reasonable fuel mileage as do the 8 out of 10 buyers of the Camry.

mike hunt


<jcd1234@kattare.com> wrote in message
news:1128443210.669768.293850@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...[color=blue]
>[color=green]
>> Only in this country. Anywhere else they don't stack up. The only thing
>> that
>> drives the big three's sales is huge, powerful, gas guzzling engines and
>> sales to people who "just have to buy American." If you took those things
>> away, why would you ever look past Toyota and Honda for a new vehicle?[/color]
>
> I don't think you'll be able to take that "good feeling" of buying
> American away from people, especially the ignorant. But, over the long
> run, The Economist predicts that either GM or Ford will fold within the
> decade. Given the overhead that the big 3 run at, I wouldn't be
> surprised. These organizations are too ingrained into the gas guzzlers
> to adapt to change. Ford may learn to adapt with their earlier embrace
> of hybrid technology, but GM will almost certainly die a painful death
> before they even dent the fuel cell arena.
>[/color]

"Mike Hunter" <mikehunt2@mailcity.com> sez:
[color=blue]
> Apparently most buyers do not agree with you opinion, since GM is number
> one in the world as well[/color]

I'm well aware of your love fest going on with GM but the fact still remains
that the biggest POS (Piece Of Shit) I've ever owned was a '97 Chevy
Suburban made in Mexico import. Engine problems, transmission problems,
brake problems, exhaust problems, suspension problems, air-conditioning
problems, etc. I nick-named it the AEV for Accelerated Entropy Vehicle.

That's why we now have a Tundra and a Sequoia (both made in the USA) and are
interested in the soon to come Yaris for the kids. I'll never own another
GM product as long as I live.

You on the other hand get to buy whatever you want so knock yourself out
with the "Professional Grade" stuff.

Good reliability and value to ya,
VLJ
--

"Mike Hunter" <mikehunt2@mailcity.com> wrote in message
news:_YCcndlfbbJvOd_eUSdV9g@ptd.net...[color=blue]
> With all that domestics still sold more vehicles than all of the various
> import brands combined. I addition Chevrolet earned the number one car
> brand spot over Toyota. GM still is number manufacture as well as first
> in total car sales and total truck sales. Ford in still the number two
> manufacture, as well as the number one in individual vehicle sales with
> the F150. The number one mid size and small SUV with the Explorer and the
> Escape. ;)
>
> mike hunt[/color]

Well....OK. An entire paragraph of statements which can only be considered
meaningless without further information.
[color=blue]
> With all that domestics still sold more vehicles than all of the various
> import brands combined.[/color]

Of course. The big 3 have been tripping all over each other since spring,
offering one ridiculous discount after another. It's the only way they can
generate healthy sales numbers. Furthermore, the vehicles they sell *have*
to be replaced more often than Toyotas because they're garbage. Since they
tend to sell to repeat customers who like being boned in the ass by shoddy
manufacturers, they have a locked up market.
[color=blue]
> I addition Chevrolet earned the number one car brand spot over Toyota.[/color]

Number one in what? Sales numbers?
[color=blue]
> GM still is number manufacture as well as first in total car sales and
> total truck sales. Ford in still the number two manufacture, as well as
> the number one in individual vehicle sales with the F150. The number one
> mid size and small SUV with the Explorer and the Escape. ;)[/color]

Correct. And, on any given day in American grocery stores, far more people
buy chicken than lobster. Why? Because it's cheaper. American cars will
always be sold in higher numbers. They're cheaper, and they're throwaways,
like disposable plastic plates.

Apparently you know little of how bond investors get rich on the higher
interest rates paid on unrated bonds LOL

mike hunt


"Art" <begunaNOSPAMPLEASE@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:Uwy0f.9468$q1.5826@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net...[color=blue]
> Too bad their bonds are too junky to be called junk bonds according to
> analysists.
>
>
> "Mike Hunter" <mikehunt2@mailcity.com> wrote in message
> news:_YCcndlfbbJvOd_eUSdV9g@ptd.net...[color=green]
>> With all that domestics still sold more vehicles than all of the various
>> import brands combined. I addition Chevrolet earned the number one car
>> brand spot over Toyota. GM still is number manufacture as well as first
>> in total car sales and total truck sales. Ford in still the number two
>> manufacture, as well as the number one in individual vehicle sales with
>> the F150. The number one mid size and small SUV with the Explorer and the
>> Escape. ;)
>>
>> mike hunt
>>
>>
>>
>> mike hunt
>>
>>
>> "Philip" <1chip-state1@earthlink.net> wrote in message
>> news:P2o0f.9274$q1.8752@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net...[color=darkred]
>>> GM, Ford sales tumble in September; Asian brands see smaller drop
>>> October 03, 2005 11:25 PM EDT
>>> DETROIT - High gas prices and a summer of heavy discounting sent sales
>>> of sport utility vehicles plummeting last month for U.S. automakers.
>>> Asian manufacturers, who had avoided the employee-pricing lures Detroit
>>> offered, saw their results less affected.
>>>
>>> Several automakers reported strong car sales in their monthly reports
>>> released Monday, but SUVs took a hit industrywide in the U.S. market as
>>> gas prices skyrocketed following Hurricane Katrina. Sales of the GMC
>>> Envoy and Chevrolet Tahoe fell more than 50 percent compared to last
>>> September. The Cadillac Escalade, Mazda Tribute, Ford Explorer, Ford
>>> Expedition, Toyota Sequoia and Nissan Armada all saw their sales fall by
>>> 18 percent or more. Dodge Durango sales were down 11 percent.
>>>
>>> General Motors Corp. sales were down 24 percent overall. Its SUV and
>>> truck sales fell 30 percent while its car sales dropped 14 percent. GM's
>>> overall sales were flat for the first nine months of the year.
>>>
>>> GM said it knew September would be a challenge after a summer of heavily
>>> promoted discounting. GM began letting consumers pay the employee price
>>> in June and ended the promotion Friday.
>>>
>>> "We're coming off the three strongest months in the history of the
>>> industry," said Paul Ballew, GM's executive director of market and
>>> industry analysis.
>>>
>>> Ford Motor Co. also took a hit, with sales down nearly 20 percent in
>>> September. Ford, Lincoln and Mercury car sales rose 6 percent, but sales
>>> of trucks and SUVs fell nearly 28 percent. The company's overall sales
>>> were also flat for the first nine months of the year.
>>>
>>> Ford attributed the declines to the strong summer. Ford began allowing
>>> customers to pay the employee price in July, and the incentive helped
>>> deplete the automaker's 2005 inventory. George Pipas, Ford's U.S. sales
>>> analysis manager, said the company expects SUV sales will stay soft in
>>> the near term.
>>>
>>> Ballew cautioned that gas prices aren't the only reason for falling SUV
>>> sales. He said an aging lineup of SUVs and more options in car-based
>>> crossovers also are affecting the segment.
>>>
>>> Strong pickup sales were further proof that gas prices aren't the only
>>> factor in the SUV's decline. The Dodge Ram pickup had its best month
>>> ever and its sales were up 5 percent, DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler
>>> Group said. Toyota said sales of its Tacoma pickup rose more than 21
>>> percent.
>>>
>>> Chrysler bucked the trend among U.S. automakers, reporting a 4 percent
>>> increase in September sales, led by a 26 percent jump in car sales. The
>>> Dodge Neon, which Chrysler stopped making two weeks ago, saw a 69
>>> percent increase. Chrysler's truck and SUV sales were down 1.8 percent,
>>> but its overall sales were up 7.5 percent for the year.
>>>
>>> Asian automakers also saw weak SUV sales, but none of the payback that
>>> U.S. automakers had to contend with. Toyota Motor Corp.'s sales were up
>>> 10 percent in September, thanks to a 22 percent increase in car sales.
>>> Toyota's truck sales fell 4 percent. The Japanese automaker's sales were
>>> up 11 percent in the first nine months of the year, and the company said
>>> it set a third-quarter U.S. sales record.
>>>
>>> Sales of the hybrid Toyota Prius surged 90 percent.
>>>
>>> Nissan Motor Co. said its sales were up 16.4 percent in September, led
>>> by a 26.5 percent increase in car sales. While sales of the Armada, its
>>> largest SUV, were down, sales of the midsize Pathfinder SUV more than
>>> doubled, which helped lift Nissan's truck sales by 3 percent.
>>>
>>> Honda Motor Co.'s sales rose 11.7 percent thanks to positive response to
>>> the redesigned 2006 Civic, which helped boost car sales by 20 percent.
>>> Honda's truck sales were flat for the month and its overall sales were
>>> up 6.3 percent for the January-September period.
>>>
>>> Hyundai Motor Co.'s sales were up 9 percent in September. The South
>>> Korean automaker's overall sales were up 10 percent for the year.
>>>
>>> Volkswagen AG was the only automaker that didn't report U.S. sales on
>>> Monday. Spokesman Tony Fouladpour said the results would be delayed
>>> until Tuesday because Monday was a German holiday.
>>>
>>> There were 25 selling days in September 2005, the same number as
>>> September 2004.
>>>
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