U.S. overall light vehicle sales, including domestic brands and unadjusted for business days, up 11.4% year over year to nearly 14.2 million units in January, AIADA says, citing AutoData estimates

Graziela Medina Shepnick

ALEXANDRIA, Virginia , February 1, 2012 (press release) – 2012 Outlook Bright for International Nameplate Dealers

The American International Automobile Dealers Association (AIADA) today released January 2012 sales figures for the international nameplate automobile industry. AIADA represents America’s approximately 10,000 international nameplate franchises whose brands accounted for 55.8 percent of all vehicles sold in the United States last month.

The New Year started on a positive note for dealers as overall sales, including domestic brands and unadjusted for business days, rose 11.4 percent from January 2011. The seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) for light vehicle sales in January was estimated by AutoData Corp. at 14.18 million units, compared to 12.69 million units in January 2011. That predicted number would represent a significant recovery from the dismal 10.4 million units sold in 2009.

Hyundai set a January sales record with 42,694 units sold, up 14.7 percent from a year ago. Honda and Toyota both saw sales rise 9 percent. Led by Jetta and Passat sales, Volkswagen marked its best January since 1974. The German automaker gained 47.9 percent over January 2011. Overall, international brand sales were up 14.9 percent from January 2011. Domestic automakers saw a jump of 7.3 percent.

“International nameplate dealers started 2012 off on the right foot,” said AIADA President Cody Lusk. “New models, new technology, and signs of a recovering economy drove customers to dealerships in January. We expect this year to be the most profitable our industry has seen in some time.”

In January, international brands sold 509,793, down from 664,473 units in December. Asian nameplates accounted for 45.8 percent of the overall market, up from 43.6 percent in December. European nameplates had a 10 percent share, up slightly from 9.8 percent in December. Domestic brands finished January with 44.2 percent of the market, down from 46.6 in December. Read AIADA’s complete coverage of January’s international nameplate auto sales here.

About AIADA: Established in 1970, AIADA is and continues to be the only association whose sole purpose is to represent America’s international nameplate automobile franchises that sell and service the following brands: Acura, Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Ferrari, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Jaguar, Kia, Land Rover, Lexus, Maserati, Maybach, Mazda, Mercedes, MINI, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Porsche, Rolls Royce, Saab, Scion, Smart, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo. These retailers have a positive economic impact both nationally and in the local communities they serve, providing more than 500,000 American jobs. Visit AIADA online at www.aiada.org.

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