US Auto Industry Booming As Car Sales Globally Slip And Slide
By George Polgar
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Posting a 9.4 percent September increase, the US continues to lead the global auto marketplace, even as the annualized pace of sales slowed slightly.
American car buying continues on an upswing while Europe claws back from the lowest car sales in twenty years with heavy discounts and incentives, and emerging markets like Russia, Brazil and India are stalled by economic and geopolitical uncertainties. Even China is beginning to show signs of strain after years of being every major automaker's "field of dreams".
Both Chrysler and GM saw September car and truck sales increases tantalizingly close to 20 percent, while Ford saw a 2.7 percent decline as they prepare to launch the new 2015 all aluminum bodied Ford F-150 pick-up – the perennial overall best selling vehicle in the US.
The momentary void gave GM an opportunity to boost sales of the Silverado pick-up by an astounding 54 percent.
Combined Toyota - Lexus – Scion brands saw a 1.7 percent increase while still dominating total US import sales. Nissan posted an impressive 18.5 percent increase while still trailing Honda by some 15,000 units. Locally headquartered Subaru led all brand increases with a 30.7 percent bump.
