November 2015 Auto Sales: Winners and Losers
November sales figures are in and there was quite a bit of volatility in the market. Several brands posted spectacular gains and a handful of others devastating losses.
Overall, deliveries were up about 1.6 percent compared to the same month in 2014 with dealers shipping around 1.3 million vehicles. That’s relatively small growth but an increase nonetheless.
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For the first 11 months of 2015 things are a little better. Roughly 15 million cars and trucks have been sold, about a 5.5 percent jump compared to the same time period last year. That’s good news and something to smile about as we enter the holiday season.
But which brands did the best and which ones weren’t so blessed? Let’s dig into the numbers.
Winner: Jeep +19.9 Percent
Jeep always does well. What else is news? In fact, it seems like this mud-slinging brand is immune to sales declines. They delivered just shy of 69,000 vehicles in November, a 20 percent year-over-year increase. Sales are up 23.3 percent for 2015 with more than 775,000 vehicles sold. Damn, this must be where FCA makes all of its money!
Winner: Scion +32.7 Percent
Scion’s sales have been sliding for much of the year, and by colossal amounts. But only recently have they managed to turn a corner. November deliveries increased by almost 33 percent, clocking in at a still-paltry 5,183 units. Sales for the year measure about 10 times that amount, and are down 6.5 percent compared to the same 11 month-period in 2014.
Winner: Land Rover +79.4 Percent
Land Rovers can go just about anywhere, from the jungles of central Africa to the Himalayan mountains, from softball practice after school to a fancy dinner on date night. Luxury and capability join forces with these versatile vehicles and this unique combination is something drivers have noticed. The brand’s year-over-year sales shot more than 79 percent last month, totaling in excess of 6,500 units. Deliveries are up nearly 36 percent for all of 2015.
Winner: Alfa Romeo +83.3 Percent
Alfa Romeo’s sales have risen like the Space Shuttle at launch, soaring by more than 83 percent. That’s impressive to be sure, though the glow dims significantly when you see how many cars they delivered. In November, dealers pushed out just 44 units. For the first 11 months of the year they’ve sold 606 cars.
Winner: Volvo +90.5 Percent
But which automaker’s November growth outpaced everyone else’s? How about a small Scandinavian brand that’s owned by the Chinese? It’s hard to believe but Volvo’s deliveries nearly doubled, growing by an eye-popping 90.5 percent. They pushed out more than 6,900 cars and crossovers last month. For the year, deliveries have exceeded 60,700, an 18 percent jump.
Loser: Jaguar -15.0 Percent
Now for the five automakers that weren’t as fortunate last month. We start with Jaguar, which saw its November sales decline by 15 percent. Total deliveries clocked in at just 1,065 units. In comparison, Ford’s Lincoln brand takes a lot of flak for its lackluster sales but they sold nearly 7.5 times as many vehicles last month. Jaguar’s sales are off nearly 6 percent for all of 2015.
Loser: Buick -16.6 Percent
Buick dealers moved just short of 16,000 vehicles in November, which sounds pretty impressive until you look at how many they sold the year prior. This performance represents a 16.6 percent decline. Yikes. Total deliveries for the year measure a handful more than 202,000, a 3 percent drop compared to the first 11 months of 2014.
Loser: Acura -17.6 Percent
Acura’s year-over-year November sales tumbled by nearly 18 percent, with deliveries totaling a handful more than 12,000 for the month. Fortunately for Honda’s luxury division its performance for the year is much better. Sales are up nearly 7 percent.
Loser: Volkswagen -24.7 Percent
This should come as no surprise given the diesel-emissions scandal it’s facing, but Volkswagen’s deliveries last month fell by nearly a quarter. Sales totaled a little less than 24,000. This German brand isn’t doing much better for 2015. Its dealers have moved nearly 319,000 vehicles through November, which is a year-over-year decline of 4.3 percent.
Loser: Bentley -41.8 Percent
Finally, we come to Bentley, the brand with the largest sales decline last month. Overall its deliveries fell by almost 42 percent with just 188 cars sold. For all of 2015 they’ve pushed out 2,105 super luxury vehicles, a decline of nearly 19 percent compared to the same time period last year.
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[Source: Automotive News]
Born and raised in metro Detroit, Craig was steeped in mechanics from childhood. He feels as much at home with a wrench or welding gun in his hand as he does behind the wheel or in front of a camera. Putting his Bachelor's Degree in Journalism to good use, he's always pumping out videos, reviews, and features for AutoGuide.com. When the workday is over, he can be found out driving his fully restored 1936 Ford V8 sedan. Craig has covered the automotive industry full time for more than 10 years and is a member of the Automotive Press Association (APA) and Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA).
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Yay FCA IS WINNING!