GM, Toyota Sales Gains Help U.S. Auto Market Exceed Analysts' Estimates (01/03/11)

Car sales among some of the industry's biggest players including General Motors (GM), Ford and Toyota have exceeded expectations off the back of rising consumer confidence.

In February, GM said deliveries increased 46 per cent to 207,028 vehicles, while Toyota saw sales jump 42 per cent to hit 141,846.

Ford's sales rose ten per cent and Chrysler witnessed a 13 per cent increase in deliveries.

It comes after confidence among US consumers rose in February to the highest in three years, according to reports from the Conference Board and Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan.

February auto sales jump 27 per cent, top expectations (02/03/11)

Sales of cars in the US increased 27 per cent in February, marking the strongest month for the industry since August 2009, when the government scrapping scheme sparked a temporary boom.

According to the industry tracking firm Autodata, the sales for the month equates to 13.4 million over the year, up from around 12.6 million the previous two months.

In addition to the strong performance of General Motors and Toyota, Nissan saw sales surge by 32 per cent thanks to discounts and deliveries of new Honda vehicles rose 22 per cent.

Lexus witnessed no increase in sales as it had underestimated demand, leaving stocks too low.

French car sales rise 13.7 pct in February - CCFA (01/03/11)

France's CCFA auto association said sales of passenger cars in the country rose 13.7 per cent year-on-year in February to 204,486 units.

Although the government scrapping scheme ended in December, cars bought under the programme can be registered until March.

PSA Peugeot Citroen said sales of cars and light commercial vehicles increased 11.1 per cent compared to the same month last year.

France's major manufacturer Renault reported year-on-year sales rose 13.6 per cent.

Brazil car sales jump 12 pct in February-Fenabrave (02/03/11)

Brazil's automotive industry reported a strong month in February, with sales of cars, trucks and buses climbing 12 per cent.

According to industry group Fenabrave, dealerships made up lost ground from January, when sales fell 36 per cent, with 274,174 units sold.

The organisation predicts that the family vehicles and light trucks market will grow 4.2 per cent in 2011, while sales of heavy trucks and buses are expected to improve by 5.2 per cent.

Volkswagen was the best-selling car brand in Brazil in the first two months of the year, after outselling Fiat. Both firms account for around a fifth of the nation's car market.

Auto makers post strong sales in February (02/03/11)

India's top makers Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra saw another month of double-digit sales growth in spite of rising interest rates and fears the petrol prices will shoot up.

Although the Indian government left excise duty on cars flat at between ten and 22 per cent, fears of an increase are thought to driven car sales in February.

Argentina's February Auto Output Falls on Month; Rise on Year (03/03/11)

Argentina made fewer cars in February than in January, but output remains higher than the same time last year.

Compared to January, vehicle production slipped back 10.4 per cent, though it is still five per cent up on February 2010, according to the Argentine Automobile Manufacturers Association.

Car exports rose eight per cent year-on-year, but were some 31 per cent down on January.

Nearly four-fifths of Argentina's car exports went to Brazil, while roughly eight per cent were shipped to Europe and 3.6 per cent each to Mexico and Uruguay.

France, Germany and UK lead European car sales (05/03/11)

Europe's three largest economies are leading the demand for new cars, with consumers in the UK, France and Germany buying more vehicles.

In Britain, the automakers' association SMMT said sales in February were up 27.4 per cent year-on-year.

Germany bought 15 per cent more cars this February than last, while France has seen sales jump 13.7 per cent.

The rest of Europe is not doing so well, with sales in Spain down 27.6 per cent, while Italy sold a fifth fewer vehicles.

Weak auto sales split analysts over year's prospects (08/03/11)

Passenger vehicles sales in China fell in February for the first time in over two years, according to data released by the China Passenger Car Association.

Domestic sales of cars, sports utility vehicles, multipurpose vehicles and minivans slipped back by 0.4 percent year-on-year to 880,027 units, marking a 37.3 percent drop from the previous month's figure.

Despite the poor performance, Lin Huaibin from consulting firm IHS Automotive believes there should not be too much cause for concern.

"February is not a good indicator of overall market growth due to various factors, such as Chinese New Year, consumers getting used to changes in policies and the rise in sales in January in advance of the Spring Festival," the analyst said.

China Passenger Car Association secretary-general Rao Da, however, is less optimistic, suggesting that while the downturn in February is "reasonable ... it will lead to a downtrend in the coming months".

UPDATE 1-India's Feb car sales at record, growth may moderate (09/03/11)

Car sales in growing consumer economy of India rose 22.6 per cent in February to 189,008 units.

However, factors like rising fuel prices and interest rates are likely to mean this level of growth is hard to keep up.

"There is moderation happening which was expected. This moderation will continue over a period of time because high growth is difficult to sustain," Vishnu Mathur, director-general of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), said.

Maruti Suzuki saw a 15.5 percent rise in sales in February compared to a year ago, while Tata Motors grew 12 per cent and Mahindra & Mahindra 20 per cent.

UPDATE 1-Mexican auto production, exports climb in Feb (09/03/11)

Car production in Mexico rose 15.7 per cent in February from the same month a year ago, while exports increased 1.7 per cent according auto industry group AMIA.

Alonso Cervera, economist with Credit Suisse in Mexico City, said: "Output figures clearly show that this industry is doing quite well."
Russian car sales up 80 pct y/y in Feb (09/03/11)

Sales of new cars in Russia rose 80 per cent year-on-year in February to 73,588, according to the Association of European Businesses (AEB).

"Our consensus view on 2011 remains at 2.24 million passenger cars and LCV but in the light of the strong start to the year we will review this following the March and first quarter results," said David Thomas, chairman of the AEB Automobile Manufacturers Committee.

UK car production up 15% in February, says SMMT (17/03/11)

UK car production increased 15.1 per cent in February compared to the same month the year before, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

The organisation's chief executive Paul Everitt said there had been a 27 per cent increase in exports over the same period.

Next week's Budget "will be crucial in creating the conditions for further investment in skills, R&D and capital equipment, all essential for growth and maintaining global competitiveness," he added. 

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