One More Strong Sales Month for Detroit Three, Best News To Come Thursday From GM

The best news of the week for the Detroit Three will come Thursday when General Motors rejoins the S&P 500.
However, we certainly saw some excellent sales figures out of the Motor City June 3.

• Best May sales since 2007
• 38th-consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains
• Eight Chrysler Group vehicles set sales records in May; Jeep® Wrangler and Jeep Compass record their best monthly sales ever
• Ram Truck brand sales up 24 percent; largest percentage sales gain of any Chrysler Group brand in May
• Dodge Dart, Dodge Durango, Chrysler Town & Country and Chrysler 200 Convertible are segment award winners in Strategic Vision's "Total Quality" awards
• FIAT brand reaches new milestone in May as North American sales surpass 100,000 units since its reintroduction in 2011

Chrysler Group LLC scored U.S. sales of 166,596 units, an 11 percent increase compared with sales in May 2012 (150,041 units), and the group's best May sales since 2007.

The Jeep®, Dodge, Ram Truck and FIAT brands each posted year-over-year sales gains in May compared with the same month a year ago. The Ram Truck brand's 24 percent increase was the largest sales gain of any Chrysler Group brand in May. Chrysler Group extended its streak of year-over-year sales gains to 38-consecutive months in May.

"Our best May sales in six years enabled us to extend our sales streak to 38-consecutive months of year-over-year sales gains," said Reid Bigland, Head of U.S. Sales. "We continue to see strong retail sales throughout our product lineup as eight Chrysler Group vehicles set sales records in May, including best sales ever by the Jeep Wrangler and Compass."

The Jeep Compass' 42 percent increase was the largest sales gain of any Jeep brand vehicle in the month. Sales of the flagship Jeep Grand Cherokee were up 21 percent in May compared with the same month a year ago, its best May sales in eight years. All Jeep brand vehicles in production recorded year-over-year sales gains in May.

Eight Chrysler Group vehicles set sales records in the month of May. The Jeep Wrangler and the Jeep Compass SUVs each recorded their best sales ever. In addition, the Dodge Avenger and Dodge Challenger, the Fiat 500, the Chrysler 200 mid-size sedan, and the Ram pickup truck were among the Chrysler Group vehicles that registered their best sales for the month of May.

That's just one of the May 2013 sales reports that showed us the reality of the manufacturing renaissance in the Motor City.

Here's what Ford did:

• Ford Motor Company's May U.S. sales up 14 percent compared with a year ago; best May sales since 2006 with retail sales up 17 percent
• Escape delivers best month ever – sales up 26 percent year over year; Fusion sales up 10 percent – Fusion's best-ever May; both achieve monthly sales records for four straight months
• F-Series, America's best-selling pickup for 36 years, posts a 31 percent increase – best May sales since 2005 and first time F-Series breaks the 70,000 mark since March 2007
• Lincoln MKZ delivers its best-ever May sales performance
• Ford announces 2013 third-quarter production of 740,000 vehicles, up 10 percent from the prior year

Ford Motor Company's U.S. sales grew 14 percent in May, with cars up 9 percent, utilities up 15 percent and trucks up 18 percent. Retail sales increased 17 percent, marking the best May retail sales results since 2005.

"Our fuel-efficient Fusion and Escape have set monthly sales records for four straight months," said Ken Czubay, Ford vice president, U.S. Marketing, Sales and Service. "F-Series sales – fueled by construction growth and pent-up demand – reached their highest level in more than six years."

Fusion posted its best-ever May sales of 29,553 vehicles – with its strongest areas of sales growth in the western and southeastern areas of the U.S.

The fuel-efficient Escape small utility posted its best-ever sales month since being introduced 13 years ago – a 26 percent increase with 29,123 vehicles sold last month.

America's best-selling pickup, the F-Series had its strongest May sales result since 2005.
F-Series' 71,604 sales in May represented a 31 percent increase versus last year and its 22^nd straight monthly sales increase.   

In May, Lincoln MKZ sales increased 42 percent versus last year. This represents MKZ's best-ever May sales, building on MKZ's best-ever sales month in April.

In addition, Ford announces its 2013 third-quarter North American production. The company plans to build 740,000 vehicles in the third quarter, up 10 percent from the 673,000 vehicles produced in the third quarter of 2012.

The third quarter plan includes the company's recent announcement to add 40,000 vehicles from a reduced July summer shutdown and the addition of 200,000 units of annualized straight-time capacity starting in the fall of this year.

~ LCP ~

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