DAILY BEAST: Amid signs of an economic slowdown, U.S. car sales keep moving, led by sales of small cars and a resurgent Toyota.
Chrysler, which stood on the verge of liquidation just a few years ago, is sustaining its remarkable comeback under the leadership of Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne. Chrysler sales rose (PDF) 12 percent in September from last year, the 30th straight month of year-on-year gains. Chrysler has been energized by new products. It sold more than 4,100 Fiat 500s and 5,235 Dodge Darts—two recent introductions. Meanwhile, sales of the company’s iconic Jeeps rose 10 percent from last year. While September’s gains were less impressive than results from recent months, the figures show a company that is firing on almost all cylinders….
Rising gas prices and pinched incomes means Americans continue to show interest in smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles. Toyota and Honda’s results showed that. At General Motors, which sold 210,245 vehicles in September, up only 1.5 percent from a year ago, sales of passenger cars soared by 29 percent. The company sold nearly 26,000 Chevy Cruzes, up 42 percent from a year ago, and 2,851 units of the much-maligned Chevy Volt—a four-fold increase from a year ago… (more)
