US big 3 car makers all increase sales in April

Car manufacturers have published greater US sales in April, boosted by the economic recovery along with a discounting war being driven by Toyota as the Japanese manufacturer attempts to recuperate from the negativity of numerous vehicle recalls.

Ford and Chrysler have published 25% US sales increases in April while GM increased 7% as demand from customers continued to aid the recuperation from last year’s failure.

GM’s overall performance has been dented by distinct declines for the 4 brands – Hummer, Pontiac, Saab and Saturn – that are being sold or ceased as part of the Detroit car manufacturers restructuring program.

Sales of GM’s four remaining brands – Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC – were one fifth higher than last year and retail sales of these brands have now grown for the past 7 months in a row.

Steve Carlisle, GM’s vice-president for sales operations, declared that transaction prices were $2,500 higher typically than last year, and significantly higher than the industry average, due to a certain extent to less generous discounts.

Ford, aided by being the only one of Detroit’s 3 car manufacturers to not file for bankruptcy or accept a government bailout, declared that it increased retail market share again in April, the eighteenth such advance in the past 19 months.

According to initial estimates, US industry sales totaled a seasonally adjusted yearly rate of approximately 11.4m vehicles last month, down from 11.8m in March but well above the 9.3m sold in 2009 when the whole industry was in the depths of a slump.

Edmunds.com, a US online car pricing service, estimates that Toyota offered discounts and other incentives worth an average of $2,498 last month, down from March’s record of $2,743, but still well above 2009 levels.

Other car manufacturers have enhanced their marketing promotions to keep up market share in the face of Toyota’s aggressive tactics and Honda’s incentives attained a new record in April including, for the first time, offers requiring no down payment.

“Honda sales in April got a boost from the uncharacteristically large offers it made available to prospective buyers, including zero-percent financing,” said Brian Johnson, a Barclays Capital analyst in Chicago.

Subaru, the only car manufacturer to report U.S. gains in the previous 2 years, jumped 48% in April. Hyundai-Kia increased 24% and Mazda was up 17%. Germany’s Daimler and BMW were also up, while Porsche fell.

GM has predicted U.S. sales this year will total 11.3 million to 11.8 million light vehicles. Although GM economist Ted Chu said while he thinks the second quarter will continue its current pace, he predicted a one-million-unit increase in second-half sales compared with the first 6 months.

“Pent-up demand is building,” Chu said. GM is winding down Hummer, Pontiac and Saturn and has sold Saab.

GM’s results matched the analysts’ forecast of a 7% increase. Ford was projected to record a 28% gain; its 25% advance marked its 5th straight monthly increase above 20%.

Chrysler’s advance was the biggest since a 27 percent gain in July 2005, a time when U.S. car manufacturers offered all buyers the same discounts as employees.