August auto sales decreased for Acura, Chrysler, Ford and Toyota, while General Motors, Honda, Hyundai and Nissan saw increases.

GM, whose sales increased by 5 percent, attributed its success in August to “brisk sales of full-size pickups and crossover SUVs.” It also touted the quality of GM products and its attractive 5-year/100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty.

Honda saw a 4.7-percent increase in sales, with Dick Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda, saying he expects further growth going forward.

“The launch of the all-new, redesigned 2008 Honda Accord this month should further increase our sales momentum going into the fourth quarter,” he said in a company press release.

Hyundai saw an increase in sales last month of 1 percent, totaling 45,087. Officials attributed the company’s success to The Hyundai Advantage, a warranty that covers all vehicles sold in the United States.

“Hyundai buyers are protected by a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, a 5-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, a 7-year/unlimited-mile anti-perforation warranty and 5-year/unlimited-mile roadside assistance protection.”

Nissan reported a sales increase of 6.3 percent, while Acura’s sales fell 10 percent to 16,436.

Chrysler officials attributed the company’s August sales decrease to its cut in fleet sales. Darryl Jackson, vice president of U.S. sales, stated, “Our fleet sales are down more than 20 percent vs. August 2006. While this has driven the overall sales decrease for the month, it is directly in line with the company’s Recovery and Transformation Plan to reduce sales of our daily rental fleet during the second half of the year.”

The economy was also blamed for sales decreases.

Toyota saw sales decrease 2.8 percent. "Reduced credit tied to the subprime squeeze challenged consumer confidence this month,” said Jim Lentz, Toyota Motor Sales vice president.

Ford also cited “challenging economic conditions” as the reason for its 14-percent sales drop.

The August 2007 sales reports for the above mentioned companies are as follows:

Acura:

Acura's August sales reached 16,436 units, down 10 percent vs. last August. Acura’s year-to-date sales reached 122,357 units.

Acura posted record August sales of light-trucks, 7,676 units, with the MDX and RDX luxury sport utility vehicles leading the way. The Acura TL performance luxury sedan was the division's best selling sedan, posting monthly sales of 4,992 units.

Chrysler:

Chrysler LLC reported U.S. sales for August 2007 of 168,203 units; down 6 percent from August 2006 when the company sold 179,165 units.

The Jeep brand was down 1 percent vs. last year, while Wrangler and Compass posted gains over August 2006.

Dodge brand car sales increased 13 percent over last year, while truck sales were down 14 percent over August 2006.

Ford:

Demand continues to grow for Ford Motor Company's all-new and redesigned crossover vehicles, but overall sales declined in August.

Total August sales were 218,332, down 14 percent from the same period last year. Sales to daily rental companies were down 44 percent and sales to individual retail customers were down 13 percent.

General Motors:

GM dealers in the United States delivered 388,168 vehicles in August, up more than 5 percent when compared to the same period last year. GM’s market share also reached 26 percent, the highest of the year. Brisk sales of full-size pickups and crossover SUVs led the way for the automaker.

Overall incentive spending was flat compared with a year ago. August inventories were down about 34,000 vehicles to approximately 945,000 vehicles.

Honda:

American Honda Motor Co. Inc. posted an all-time record for monthly sales, with 158,342 Honda and Acura vehicles moved in August – a 4.7-percent increase. The previous record of 156,173 was set in August 2005. American Honda’s year-to-date sales totaled 1,066,320, up 1.6 percent on a daily selling rate basis.

Honda Division posted all-time records as well, with 141,906 units sold in August – 6.7-percent increase vs. last year. The previous record of 136,952 units sold was set in August 2005.

Hyundai:

Hyundai Motor America reported its best August ever with sales of 45,087 vehicles, an increase of 1 percent over August 2006.

Vehicle sales were led by the all-new Santa Fe, which saw sales reach 10,570 for the month, an increase of 55 percent over last year. The Sonata followed closely behind with sales totaling 10,348. The Tucson and the Entourage also realized strong August sales, increasing 13 percent and 6 percent, respectively. The all-new Veracruz once again had a strong month with sales of 1,739.

Nissan:

Nissan North America Inc. (NNA) reported sales of 95,527 units in August, up 6.3 percent from the same period last year. Nissan Division sales increased by 6 percent over last year. Infiniti Division sales increased by 8.7 percent vs. the prior year.

Toyota:

Toyota Motor Sales (TMS) USA Inc. reported August sales of 233,471 vehicles, a decrease of 2.8 percent from August 2006.

The Toyota Division posted August sales of 201,272, down 3.7 percent from last August. The Lexus Division reported its best-ever August, with sales reaching 32,199 units – an increase of 3.6 percent.

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