guionM

Month to month sales do jump around depending on sales pushes, economic dips, etc. But outside of the occasional Impala or Grand Prix blip, there are patterns that seem to have taken hold the past number of months.

Impala had a serious sales spike in March jumping from 18 up to 24,000 cars, but typically run about 20,000 cars per month (55% going to rental and law enforcement agencies).

Charger dipped by 2K to 9,000 in March, but seems like it's going to settle in around 9500 (Numbers are likely to go up as law enforcement agencies get on board... few go to rental agencies so far).

Grand Prix runs a steady 6500-7000 cars monthly (no numbers on how many go to rentals... none go to law enforcement).

300s have settled in around 13,000 per month (under 15% to rental agencies at last count).

Lecrosse can't seem to sustain over 5,500 cars per month (no numbers to fleets, but apparently on par with Impala's 55%).

Magnums seem settled at about 4,500 per month (something like 20% to law enforcement, rental, and government agencies).

medpatm6

I for one think it is important to continue with names that immediately associate us with the make. Im not necessarily saying that all old names be brought back, but keep the existing household names. i know the monte carlo and camaro are two different demographics generally, however I have a 97monte ls for a dd and a 95z28 as fair weather/weekend car so im partial to both. Its kind of funny that a year ago i drove an 89 maxima and now i own two dark red/ black leather int/ two door chevys. I am a car guy by nature and admire many different cars, however lately I really want to see our domestics flourish, and cars like monte carlo, camaro, mustang, impala, charger (love the car but agree with the majority on the # of doors), gto, etc I feel are the ones that can make that happen.

turbo200

Lacrosse is around 50% sales to fleets and Grand Prix is 62%. In retail sales, which matter most and show public acceptance, the LX cars are far outselling W-body. A newer platform, better styling, better interior design/quality, and more efficient use of size can all be attributed to the LX cars success. But most resounding is the different look.

PacerX

Guy,

I don't know where you're getting those numbers, but here are the production numbers from Automotive News for the dates 1/1/06-4/15/06:

DCX
Charger: 36895
Magnum: 15999
300: 47062

GM W-Platform
Lecrosse/Allure: 20904
GP: 30459
Monte Carlo: 16989
Impala: 96840

Basically, Impala alone is within 4,000 cars the entire LX platform AND CLIMBING.

If you want to see another measure of GM's dominance over DCX in this area, compare this:
Oshawa has produced 165,192 cars to date this year and has been the #1 plant in North America for productivity multiple times.
Brampton has produced 99,956 vehicles.

Brampton's total yearly capacity is in the neighborhood of 330,000 vehicles on 3 shifts. Oshawa's is in excess of 525,000... that's a 200,000 car difference, and both are running close to that capacity (165,000 x 3 = 495,000, 99,956 x 3 = 299,868).

DCX simply doesn't have the production capacity for 300 to make a run at Impala.

Given the vagaries in sales over a year, I wouldn't be shocked to see Impala outsell LX in total. Impala production is UP 33% vs. a year ago (~72,000 vs. ~97,000).

Chevrolet ALONE and DCX in total are neck and neck for total production (809,121 vs. 817,513), and again - they don't build 'em if they ain't going to sell them. GMT-800 is ramping down right now - when GMT-900 pickups come online, DCX is in for an EPIC a$$-whipping.

Fbodfather will have the best data of all of us, and my guess is that relative to Impala, 300 is barely a blip on Chevrolet's radar - and I'm absolutely positive that they couldn't care less about Magnum - which is going to tank HUGE in the near future (production is down THIRTY THREE PERCENT vs. a year ago), 300 is off 18% and Charger is less than a year old so data is skewed since it's new (i.e. hot) and stealing production from the other two.



I find it funny that somebody actually said the LX's weren't badge engineered like the W-cars. Like he!! the weren't. Somebody look me in the face and tell me a Lecrosse and a Monte Carlo SS are somehow more similar to each other than a 300 and a Charger are...

PUHLEEEZE.

Z284ever

Lacrosse.

PacerX

Whatever.

It's French.

Screw 'em.

Z284ever

You mean Franch.......

PacerX

LOLOLOL!!!

jg95z28

So is Camaro.

jg95z28

If the Bush administration has its way, by the time Camaro returns E85 will be in full production and available nationwide. E85/flexible fuel will be standard on all domestic vehicles, and half of these will be hybrids.

Fuel economy will be less of an issue than it is today.

guionM

media.gm.com & http://sev.prnewswire.com/auto/20060...3042006-1.html

The numbers you posted are production numbers. I kind of also suspect that the number of days supply between the W and LX cars also skew the numbers somewhat.


Very true. Brampton is a single plant and Osh is 2 (as far as car production). The numbers you have are in the ballpark as far as production capacity, but Oshawa #2 has excess capacity. GM's intention is to close down one of the plants, & expand the 2nd.

2005 Oshawa production...

Impala: 246,481
Monte Carlo: 33,562
LeCrosse: 92,669
Grand Prix: 122,398
Total: 495,110

Compared to 2000

Impala: 161,676
Monte Carlo: 62,465
Century: 135,699
Regal: 62,120
Grand Prix: 141,103
Total: 563,063

Osh 1
2000: 224,141
2005: 280,043

Osh 2:
2000: 338,922
2005: 215,067



However, the subject is about cars, not trucks. Take trucks out of the equasion (including the GMT-900) and things take a pretty intresting turn. Chrysler makes no pretention of taking on Ford or GM in sales numbers on trucks. But then again, do they have to? They seem to be getting along exceedingly well doing what they are doing.


As far as building and selling, perhaps you are right. But it seems that in February, Chrysler got the upper hand in the build-to-sell ration regarding the W vs LX cars. If it can happen once, it can happen again.


The 300 was a 144,068 car blip on Impala's 246,481 radar screen.

That's a pretty big blip.


Wrongo. Across the board.

300 sales up another 8% year-to-date, down 4% for March.
Magnum is down 18% year-to-date, down 17% for March

Chrysler's car sales are up 17% overall YTD, up 13 for March.

As for Charger stealing product from the other 2:
Combined LX sales YTD March 2006: 81,797
Combined LX sales YTD March 2005: 52,484
Increase LX sales YTD: 29,313
Charger sales YTD March 2006: 28,908

Charger certainly seems to be making up the difference, doesn't it?

Magnum was running something like 85+% male buyers. I can easily see 18% of those who wanted a Magnum "station wagon" choosing the Charger instead, but LX sales still heald steady overall without Charger, and increased almost the identical in number to Chargers produced.

To me, badge engineered is the Holden Monaro/Pontiac GTO, the Ford Crown Vic/Merc Grand Marquis & 500/Montego, GMC/Chevy trucks.

For the record, the LX cars aren't badge engineered..... but neither is the Grand Prix, Lecrosse, and Impala. Though all part of the W-body, "mid-lux" platform, they have different inner structures, different personalities, different skin, different marketing.

The jury is still out on the Solstice/Sky though.

Although what's being bounced between us is Chrysler vs Chevrolet, when compared to who Chrysler division is actually competing with (Buick & Lincoln Mercury, and low end Cadillacs), and the cars the 300 is competing with (Grand Marquis, Town Car, DTS, Lacrosse & Lecerne), it's success is amazing.

We certainly wouldn't be mentioning Chrysler's sales numbers with Chevrolet in the same sentence a few years ago, let alone any time in the past.

SFireGT98

I hope you are SOOO right my friend. E85 can't get here fast enough....