The American International Automobile Dealers Association (AIADA) today released December 2013 sales figures for the international nameplate automobile industry. AIADA represents America’s approximately 10,000 international nameplate franchises whose brands accounted for 55.5 percent of all vehicles sold in the United States last month, down from 56.4 percent in November.
AutoData Corp. estimated the seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) at 15.4 million units, just above the SAAR of 15.24 million units a year ago and down from 16.41 million in November. Sales for all brands, unadjusted for business days, rose 0.3 percent from December 2012 and 7.6 percent year over year.
Bad weather may have played a role in December’s flat performance. Even so, 2013 proved to be a strong year for automakers. Manufacturers closed out the year with 15.6 million units sold, the 4th consecutive year with a gain of more than a million sales and the best performance in six years. Honda saw sales improve 2.4 percent from December 2012 and 7.4 percent for the year. Nissan’s sales were up 11.4 percent from a year ago and 10.8 percent for all of 2013. Joining them in the winner’s circle, despite a sales drop of 4.6 percent from December 2012, was Toyota, who saw sales rise 6.7 percent in 2013. Volkswagen had a less successful 2013, with sales down 22.9 percent from a year ago and 6.9 percent for the year.
“Entering 2014, we are still seeing a great deal of pent-up demand reflected in higher sales numbers,” said AIADA President Cody Lusk. “That’s good news for international nameplate dealers, who sell some of the nation’s most popular vehicles.”
In December, international brands accounted for 754,741 units sold, up from 702,810 in November. Asian nameplates held 44.3 percent of the market, down from 45.4 in November. European nameplates took an 11.2 percent share, up slightly from 11 percent in November. Domestic brands occupied a 44.5 percent share, up from 43.6 in November.
Read AIADA’s complete coverage of December’s international nameplate auto sales here.
About AIADA
Established in 1970, AIADA is and continues to be the only association whose sole purpose is to represent America’s international nameplate automobile franchises that sell and service the following brands: Acura, Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Ferrari, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Jaguar, Kia, Land Rover, Lexus, Maserati, Maybach, Mazda, Mercedes, MINI, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Porsche, Rolls Royce, Scion, Smart, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo. These retailers have a positive economic impact both nationally and in the local communities they serve, providing more than 500,000 American jobs. Visit AIADA online at www.aiada.org.
