November SAAR Highest Since February 2008

Neither Hurricane Sandy nor concerns about the fiscal cliff were enough to slow the auto industry’s forceful rebound, with Autodata Corp. putting November’s seasonally adjusted annual rate at nearly 15.6 million units — the highest reading since February 2008.

The only automaker not reporting a year-over-year gain was Mitsubishi. The rest either broke records or reported significant year-over-year gains in retails sales. The following is a breakdown of November sales by manufacturer.

Audi: After realizing historic gains in November, Audi said it’s on track to set a new sales record for the year. The carmaker reported its 23^rd consecutive month of record sales, as it rolled 12,067 cars and SUVs in November, up 24.4 percent from a year ago. November’s sales performance also marked the company’s fourth best month in company history. The company had already set a new annual sales record in November with 124,469 vehicle sold. For all of 2011, the company sold 117,561 vehicles.

BMW: In November, the BMW Group recorded its best month in company history. It sold 36,461 vehicles, up 38.8 percent from a year ago. BMW Group has already bested last year’s sales total, with the company selling 303,728 units through the first 11 months vs. 272,873 units during the same period last year.

While new-car inventory quickly rolling off the lots, used-car sales declined only slightly (0.5 percent), with BMW reporting 12,134 sales last month vs. the 12,196 sold in November of last year.

Chrysler: The domestic automaker realized its best November sales month since 2007. November also marked the company’s 32^nd consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains, with sales increasing by 14 percent from a year ago to 122,565 units sold. Chrysler, Dodge, Ram Truck and FIAT each realized year-over-year sales gains last month. Top sellers in November include the Fiat 500, the Dodge Journey full-size crossover and the Jeep Wrangler.

Ford: Ford Motor Co.’s U.S. sales rose 6 percent to 177,673 vehicles in November. Retail sales alone were up 12 percent. The company reported that car sales improved by 15 percent, while trucks rose by 4 percent and utilities were up 2 percent. Focus sales spiked by 56 percent to 18,312 vehicles, while F-series pickup sales shot up by 18 percent to 56,299. Fusion sales, however, fell 24 percent to 15,125 vehicles sold.

General Motors: General Motors recorded its highest November sales in the U.S. market since 2007, with 186,505 vehicles retailed — a 3.3 percent increase from last year. Cadillac, Buick and Chevrolet topped the list of best sellers for the company. Chevrolet, however, missed last year’s sales mark by only 40 units.  

Honda: American Honda posted its best-ever November, with monthly sales rising 38.9 percent from a year ago to 116,580 units sold. The Honda division sold 104,334 units (up 41 percent from a year ago), while Acura retailed 12,246 units (up 23.6 percent from a year ago). The Honda Civic broke a record held since 1990 with 30,075 units sold — up 75 percent from a year ago. The Accord and CR-V also contributed to Honda’s boost, while the RDX, MDX and ILX models assisted with Acura’s solid gains. 

Hyundai: The Korean automaker’s fuel economy scandal didn’t affect the company’s November sales, as it set a new record for the month. The manufacturer rolled 53,487 vehicles last month, up 8 percent from a year ago. Sales through November were also up 8 percent, with the company having sold 643,572 through the first 11 months of the year.

Mazda: The automaker reported a 17.7 percent sales gain in November, with 21,691 units sold. Year-to-date sales rose 9.1 percent to 249,795 units. Four of Mazda’s models posted record sales for the month, including the Mazda3, Mazda2, Mazda5 small van and Mazda MX-5 Miata roadster.

Mitsubishi: The Japanese automaker reported a decline in sales to 3,574 units, down 4.3 percent from the same month last year. The Outlander Sport posted the fourth highest monthly sales total this year, with 1,520 units sold — up 34.2 percent compared to one year ago.

Nissan: Nissan North America realized record sales in November, with 96,197 units retailed (up 12.9 percent from a year ago. In its best November ever, the carmaker’s Infiniti brand recorded a sales jump of 41.2 percent from a year ago, with 11,897 units retailed.

Toyota: With fewer selling days than last November, the Japanese automaker posted an 11.5 percent increase in sales vs. last year, with 133,700 vehicles sold. The Toyota division accounted for 115,200 of those units, while Lexus reportedly sold 18,500 units in November.

Volkswagen: Volkswagen of America posted its best sales results since 1973 with 36,728 units sold, a 29.3 percent increase vs. a year ago. On a year-to-date basis, the manufacturer sold 35 percent more vehicles than a year ago, with 394,128 units sold during the first 11 months of the year. November also marked the 27^th consecutive month of YOY gains.