Chrysler Sales Surged 37 Percent in December
Chrysler Group saw sales surge in December, with overall sales of cars and trucks increasing 37 percent versus a year earlier, giving the automaker its 21st month in a row with higher sales on a year-to-year basis. Analysts and investors alike have applauded Chrysler's turnaround following its 2009 bankruptcy, as sales for all of 2011 jumped 26 percent from a year earlier. The company saw improvement in all its brands, including an 83 percent increase in sales of the flagship Chrysler brand.
Chrysler also enjoyed a 41 percent surge in Jeep sales and a 28 percent increase in Dodge sales, including a staggering 227 percent spike in sales of the Dodge Charger big sedan. Chrysler's smallest sales increase occurred in Ram trucks, which were up ten percent on a year to year basis. Chrysler also added Fiat to its roster last year, and saw sales increase 44 percent from November to December. Year-to-year figures were not available for Fiat because its only been sold in the US since the spring.
While Chrysler's sales boomed in December, General Motors saw a much more modest sales increase of just 4.5 percent with its brands. In fact, if not for the nearly 9 percent sales increase of Chevrolet brand vehicles, GM would have posted a year-to-year decline in sales in December. The company sold 1,500 Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicles last month, the best month ever for the environment-friendly Volt. GM saw sales declines, meanwhile, for its Buick, Cadillac and GMC brands.
Ford Motor Company, the only one of Detroit's Big 3 that did not require a taxpayer bailout in 2009, saw sales jump 10 percent year-to-year in December. For the year, the company sold 2.1 million vehicles, an 11 percent increase from 2010, passing the 2 million sales mark for the first time since the recession.
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