A long time ago, in a Forum not so far away, monthly sales reports used to be posted here with some regularity. Well, having not seem them in a bit, I was curious, so went and looked them up. Here are GM and Ford sales reports...

GM June Deliveries

Ford June Delivers

Camaro & Mustang notes...

Camaro sold 9,123 units, up 7.5% over last year. YTD is 49,697 units, up 1.9% over 2011.

Mustang sold 10,263 units, up 16.2% over last year. YTD is 48,624 units, up 24.5% over 2011.

 

This place is totally dead now. Not sure whst happened. Maybe its time for another political thread.

 

no one posts when the Camaro loses.

 

Bit of truth to that methinks.

FWIW, the new trick lighting on the Mustang seems to be all that was needed to turn things around for it in sales. The twin lit wings inside the headlights are pretty cool, and I find myself slowing down on the freeway at night to get a gander of those tri-square read outlines. Even in daylight, I have to admit that blackout rear end is pretty cool.

 

When this site got sold..a lot of people stopped posting here.

 

I guess I was oblivious to the sale. Did notice the lack of posters though.

 

Count me in as one of the Mustang buyers. I bought a brand new 2013 Mustang GT on June 8th. The 2013 refresh did me in. I love the car. The weird interior of the Camaro was a no go for me. It's just too barren or something. Both nice cars, but I now own my first Ford

 

Seems to be a tale of incentives. Read that Ford has some money on the hood to move out the 2012's for the '13's. Not sure if anything is available for Camaro in terms of incentives.

 

Ford has up to $4k off or $1k and very low rates on the 2012s, and $1k off plus low rates on the 2013's. Camaro has low rates, but didn't see any cash back.

 

I'd say that has more to do with it than "trick lighting".

If Ford keeps the incentives on Mustang it will regain the sales title in short time.

 

The subject here involves new car sales.

The 2013 Mustang (with the forementioned trick lighting) has incentives that are nothing more than a $1,000 cash back or low financing (ie: 1.9% @ 24 months, or 3.9% at a more conventional 60 months... about the same as my credit union offers on new car purchases).

There is a $3500 cash back incentive on 2012 Mustangs with 0% financing for up to 60 months. It is very, very common in the car industry when there is a redesign or a MCE to offer sweet deals and incentives to help dealers clear out the old models. The 2013 Mustang has been out since March.

The unchanged Camaro has no current incentives outside of 1.9% APR (on everything but the new ZL1), and Challenger currently has $1000 cash back on lower and $1500 on upper level models of the SXT and R/T.....it also has 0% financing, but that's only on the SRT8 and the Yellow Jacket. No mixing of incentives (ie: no cash back on SRT8 and YJ, and no 0% on SXT and R/Ts).

In short.... no one's giving any of these new cars away!

And there's no incentive that clearly puts one car ahead of the other. Considering APR vs cash back, all 3 cars pretty much fall into the same ballpark.

That leads us back to Mustang's lighting... which HAS been enough to warm new customer's over to the Mustang who previously (like me and others) disliked the previous rear end. Ford knew through surveys that rear end wasn't popular, and (also through surveys) created one that is.

It has gotten a lot of attention (as has the front lighting and the Shelby-ish front end), and has played a central role in Mustang's sales increase (according to buyer feedback).

And yes.... lighting more than the scant $1000 cash back (barely a pittance compared to what car makers were giving away 4 years ago, and actually more of a deal closer than an attention getter) is what seems to have fueled Mustang's tentative return to the number 1 position.

 

Are 2012 Mustangs no longer considered 'new' cars and are not counted in the sales figures for the year? It would seem to me that any delivery of a previously untitled vehicle would count toward the current sales figures, be it a 2012 or 2013. But I readily admit I don't know how all the ins and outs about how that game is played. Plus, the 2013 Camaro with its updated interior and new infotainment system just started production a couple of weeks ago, I believe.

As far as the '12 vs. '13 rear end, I personally don't see such a dramatic difference between the tail lights that the car moved from "meh" to "gotta have it", but maybe that's just me as Slappy admitted above he bought one because of the "refresh".

 

Sorry, but $3500 on the hood is going to drive sales. Not sure where you are coming up with all things being equal. When Mustang doesn't have money on the hood, it sells in the 6000 range per month.

-Geoff

 

I believe you are correct. As long as the vehicle has never been titled, it is still consider a "new" vehicle sale. Even a "new" 2011 MY would count.

 

Right. Which means Mustang has substantial cash on the hood, substantial enough anyway to perhaps give it a sales advantage. I'm not trying to make excuses here, but it would seem that Mustang having the "better looking" 2013 model on sale since March, alongside heavy incentives on the 2012, SHOULD result in a sales numbers victory against the 2012 only model Camaro with no cash incentive (and until recently, no ZL1 availability).

I'm wondering if the subtle changes for the '13 Camaro will result in any increased sales. ZL1 now being available should count for something going forward.