US auto sales in 2012 were up at the three major US automakers, with Chrysler leading the pack by posting a 20 per cent gain over the year before, the automakers reported Thursday.
Chrysler posted its best sales year in five years, selling 1.65
million vehicles. Chrysler's US market share grew to 11.2 per cent in
2012, the automaker said, up from 10.5 per cent share in 2011.
Ford sold 2.17 million cars in the US in 2012, up 4.6 per cent.
The automaker's F-Series trucks have been the best-selling pickup for
36 consecutive years and the best-selling vehicle in the US for 31
straight years.
General Motors sold nearly 2.6 million vehicles, up 3.7 per cent
from the year before, the automaker said.
"GM's strong finish in 2012, the industry's momentum and the
overall health of the US economy make us optimistic about 2013," Kurt
McNeil, GM's vice president of US sales operations, said. "The budget
compromise reached in Washington this week removes uncertainty and
clears the way for full-year light vehicle sales to rise to the 15 to
15.5 million unit range in 2013."
Volkswagen of America said it sold 438,133 vehicles in the US in
2012, up 35.1 per cent over the prior year. Toyota Motor Sales USA
said its full 2012 sales of 2.08 million was up 26.6 per cent.
Hyundai Motor Company saw sales rise 9 percent in 2012, and topped
700,000 sales in the US for the first time.
