Daimler is reporting that worldwide sale of the Mercedes-Benz, Maybach and smart brands decreased 18.1 percent last month to 93,800 new units (compared to 114,600 units in October 2007). Despite the substantial drop, Mercedes-Benz Cars did manage to maintain a slight improvement in its year-to-date total, with the division noting sales of 1,073,700 new units – a 1.6 percent increase over 2007's 10-month ytd total.
Automakers love it when cars, especially higher-priced ones, sell out, and hate it when cars are left languishing on showroom floors, burning holes in the companies' and the dealers' pockets.
Coming off a difficult month at its U.S. division, Daimler is reporting today that worldwide sales at Mercedes-Benz Cars dropped 2.0 percent in September to 122,200 new units – this compared to 124,600 new units in September 2007. Despite the decrease, sales of the Mercedes-Benz, Maybach and smart brands still remain up for the year, with the group's nine-month year-to-date total reaching 979,800 new units – 4.0 percent more than 2007's nine-month ytd total of 942,300 new units.
Business Week laid out a comprehensive list of small cars that would win an award in a particular category for small cars if there were awards. It is sort of like the Oscars for small cars. While I can not attest for all the cars I will have to say that the category dealing with reliability is correct.
According to the BMW Group (BMW owns Rolls-Royce), Goodwood delivered 82 cars adorned by the Spirit of Ecstasy in August. That is up by 20 cars or 32% from August one year ago, this year they have delivered 459 automobiles.
In financial news, the Mercedes Car Group is reporting that for the month of January, worldwide sales of the Mercedes-Benz, Maybach and smart brands have increased seven percent to 77,700 units. The growth was fueled solely by the Mercedes-Benz brand, with the luxury automaker noting a 13.9 percent increase in January's worldwide sales figures to 73,500 units
Mercedes has announced today that they have just achieved a record sales milestone: the brand has delivered 25 million passenger cars to customers worldwide since 1945. The vehicle that marked the historic number - a new generation Mercedes E-Class - was delivered to the owner of a Munich taxi company at the Mercedes-Benz Customer Center in Sindelfingen.
The relentless march of technology is now set to make the encounter with that sleazy salesman in a cheap suit a thing of the past. Mazda have just unveiled a new program that will allow their customers to discuss on-line in realtime the purchase of their next car.
This month's second round of financials have come rolling in, and unfortunately, worldwide sales of the Mercedes Car Group have declined for the second straight month. In total, global sales of the Mercedes-Benz, Maybach and smart brands amounted to 102,500 new units for October, a decrease of 3.5%.
Audi have for the first time ever sold more than 500,000 vehicles in a first half year and are staring down the barrel at topping 1 million sales for 2007, up on their 2006 worldwide sales of 905,000 cars.
Based on the comparative sales figures, Jaguar has an abysmal start this year. They have sold 26.8% lower sales than in 2006, the percentage represents a difference of more than 7000 Jags undelivered.
Overall sales remained stable this past April and so far this year in relation to the same periods in 2006. The strength of the Cayenne sales alone have kept sales figure stable.
For those of you who like to stay up-to-date on the sales of each of DaimlerChrysler's many divisions, the company has announced today that in 2006, sales of the Mercedes-Benz Van division totaled 256,895 units, down slightly from 2005's sales of 267,245 units. In Germany, sales totaled 67,309 units, again down slightly from 2005's sales of 70,958 new units.
It's October ladies and gentlemen, and as we usher in a new month, so too do we usher in the latest round of everyone's favorite - sales figures. First up, as is always the case, come the numbers for our very own Mercedes-Benz USA, and as our title has already declared, 'twas a grand month.
From the first slide below, which was presented by BMW AG, on 2 August 2006, for their Interim Report press conference, as clearly indicated, growth in worldwide sales has been dramatic from 2000 to 2005. This record-breaking trend continues into 2006. But where has the growth come from recently?
BMW has posted a respectable 2.9% on their year to date sales over the same period one year ago. They credit the strong sales from the X5 SAV and the X3.
In this week's second round of financial statements, DaimlerChrysler is reporting today that worldwide sales of the Mercedes Car Group, composed of the Mercedes-Benz, Maybach and smart brands, fell 1.5% for the month of September to 116,100 units, bringing their year-to-date sales to 934,200 - an increase of 5.8% over 2005's nine-month YTD total.
Honda Motor Company saw profits slide despite doing a global sales which rose 9%. There were expenses credited to the Japanese carmaker that added to boost the 2006 spreadsheets.
Unfortunately I had to head out of the office a little early Friday afternoon so I wasn't able to bring you this story, but in cased you missed it, Mercedes-Benz USA, in the month of November, achieved the third-highest sales figures in the U.S. division's illustrious 42 year history. In total, Mercedes-Benz USA noted sales of 22,079 new units, a remarkable 20.8% increase over 2005's November figure.
Worldwide sales of Mercedes Car Group passenger cars rose in August 2006 by 1.2 percent to 88,600 units (August 2005: 87,600). In the first eight months of the year, deliveries of Mercedes Benz, Maybach, and smart brand cars rose by seven percent to the record figure of 818,200 units (Jan.- August 2005: 765,200).
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