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Imports Beat Domestic Auto Sales Through May

By Joe Benton
ConsumerAffairs.com

July 24, 2006

• GM Aims High-Mileage Cruze At U.S. Market • GM Offers Employee Prices to Spur Slow Sales • U.S. Consumers Favor Japanese and German Automakers • Automakers Report Huge Drop in Sales • GM Cuts Prices for February • Toyota Sales for 2007 May Surpass GM • New GM Sale May Challenge Bargain Hunters • GM Hangs on as World's No. 1 Automaker • Saturn Outlook Gets High Marks from Consumer Reports • Summer Car Sales Start to Sizzle • Consumer Reports Lists Best New Car Deals • Chrysler Dumps Remaining 2006 Inventory on Used Car Market --- • More about Auto Sales ...

It wasn't too long ago that Ford and GM were arguing about who was No. 1 in sales. There's no argument anymore. Foreign-based auto brands captured more than 50 percent of U.S. sales to consumers in the first five months of 2006 according to the latest vehicle registration data from R.L. Polk & Co.

If the trend holds up 2006 will be the first year in which foreign-based auto brands have surpassed traditional domestic brands in U.S. retail sales.

Through May, 52.9 percent of the new vehicles registered by buyers were import brands, up from 49.0 percent a year earlier.

Retail registrations of domestic brands totaled 2,554,636 through May, down 7.2 percent compared with the same period in 2005. During the same time, registrations of import brands rose 8.2 percent to 2,864,409 units.

The move up for the retail share of foreign brands is quite sharp while the downturn has hit Detroit across the board.

Lincoln and Hummer are the only domestic brands that brought in higher retail sales through May.

The six import winners were Toyota, Volkswagen, Land Rover, Porsche, Mercedes and Suzuki.

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