Chrysler Reports August Sales
1 September 1998
Chrysler Reports Record August Led by Strong Car Sales
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Sept. 1 -- Buoyed by the strong
performance of its car lines, Chrysler Corporation reported record
sales for the month of August, totalling 186,469, a four percent increase over
the same period a year ago. The previous record was set in August 1996 with
186,306 vehicles sold.
The strength of passenger car sales, when combined with Chrysler's
long-standing success in the minivan and sport utility vehicle segments,
underscores a company with a broad range of success stories, said Jamie
Jameson, Executive Director of Sales and Marketing Operations.
"We are not a one- or even a two-horse company," Jameson said. "In any
given month, we can show strength across the board, depending on the needs of
our customers."
Car sales, which increased 17 percent, were led by the company's mid-size
models (Chrysler Cirrus, Dodge Stratus and Plymouth Breeze), with 56,843
vehicles sold, compared to 48,593 sold one year ago. Individually, Dodge
Stratus had record sales of 7,811 units (a 73 percent increase), Chrysler
Cirrus had sales of 2,739 (a 60 percent increase) and Plymouth Breeze record
sales of 4,333 (a 29 percent increase).
The Chrysler Concorde, 300M and LHS, and the Dodge Intrepid continued
their sales surge with a 32 percent increase over last year. Sales of sport
utility models were up 12 percent for the month, led by Jeep(R) Cherokee and
Jeep Wrangler, as well as Dodge Durango. The continuing sales strength of
sport utility models is encouraging given the current production downtime
associated with the changeover to make way for the new 1999 Jeep Grand
Cherokee.
"The sell-off of the current Grand Cherokee is running ahead of schedule,"
Jameson said.
Dodge Truck set a monthly record for August, with 79,441 vehicles sold, a
13 percent increase over last year. Both Dodge Ram and Dodge Dakota set
record sales, with Ram up 14 percent to 32,323 units and Dakota posting an 11
percent gain over the previous record gain.
Total minivan sales, which were down 22 percent to 35,405 units compared
to last year's 45,508, were a reflection of low inventory and the previous
year's strong numbers.
"The pull-ahead for the record May-June Owner's Bonus Program is still
impacting these sales," Jameson said.
The company's August sales performance -- unlike last year -- did not
encompass Labor Day, typically a strong car sales weekend.
Chrysler U.S. Sales Summary, Thru August 1998
Month Sales DR % Sales CYTD DR % Sales MYTD DR %
Model Curr Yr Pr Yr Change Curr Yr Pr Yr Change Curr Yr Pr Yr Change
Neon 5105 5664 -10% 55763 57005 -2% 77725 76610 1%
Breeze 4333 3368 29% 44219 46290 -4% 64732 62294 4%
Prowler 172 4 NM 1041 13 NM 1133 13 NM
PLYMOUTH CAR
9610 9036 6% 101023 103308 -2% 143590 138917 3%
Voyager 11109 14038 -21% 113207 113064 0% 146501 146587 0%
PLYMOUTH TRUCK
11109 14038 -21% 113207 113064 0% 146501 146587 0%
PLYMOUTH BRAND
20719 23074 -10% 214230 216372 -1% 290091 285504 2%
Cirrus 2739 1714 60% 27599 19439 42% 37160 25897 43%
Sebring Coupe
3404 3362 1% 24492 24905 -2% 32085 30969 4%
Sebring Convertible
3871 4033 -4% 38201 39824 -4% 47994 52157 -8%
Concorde 4299 3765 14% 43128 32667 32% 46702 44320 5%
300M 4475 0 0% 12913 0 0% 12913 0 0%
LHS 2300 2936 -22% 8639 27642 -69% 10407 36042 -71%
CHRYSLER CAR
21088 15810 33% 154972 144477 7% 187261 189385 -1%
Town & Country
5280 7359 -28% 49578 51118 -3% 69441 69959 -1%
CHRYSLER TRUCK
5280 7359 -28% 49578 51118 -3% 69441 69959 -1%
CHRYSLER BRAND
26368 23169 14% 204550 195595 5% 256702 259344 -1%
Wrangler 6905 5761 20% 57652 58750 -2% 75038 78450 -4%
Cherokee 12307 9634 28% 92991 83113 12% 129439 114469 13%
Grand Cherokee
14584 24705 -41% 154972 164930 -6% 227195 243887 -7%
JEEP BRAND
33796 40100 -16% 305615 306793 0% 431672 436806 -1%
Talon 143 861 -83% 2730 7505 -64% 4727 9847 -52%
Vision 129 267 -52% 501 4422 -89% 1012 6178 -84%
EAGLE BRAND
272 1128 -76% 3231 11927 -73% 5739 16025 -64%
CPJE CAR
30970 25974 19% 259226 259712 0% 336590 344327 -2%
CPJE TRUCK
50185 61497 -18% 468400 470975 -1% 647614 653352 -1%
CPJE DIVISION
81155 87471 -7% 727626 730687 0% 984204 997679 -1%
Neon 7742 7783 -1% 84604 80211 5% 116397 106801 9%
Stratus 7811 4505 73% 80484 66037 22% 106095 88673 20%
Avenger 2609 3003 -13% 17460 23371 -25% 23396 29078 -20%
Intrepid 7531 7217 4% 64461 101367 -36% 76608 132152 -42%
Viper 180 111 62% 882 1014 -13% 1236 1597 -23%
DODGE CAR
25873 22619 14% 247891 272000 -9% 323732 358301 -10%
Caravan 19016 24111 -21% 209755 205303 2% 273250 272795 0%
Durango 10953 0 0% 93023 0 0% 113286 0 0%
Dakota 11932 10789 11% 103354 86688 19% 138309 114918 20%
Ram P/U 32323 28280 14% 264172 228263 16% 360178 324049 11%
Ram Wagon 701 1725 -59% 13129 15504 -15% 14138 19986 -29%
Ram Van 4516 5136 -12% 35155 42493 -17% 45464 58035 -22%
DODGE TRUCK
79441 70041 13% 718588 578251 24% 944625 789783 20%
DODGE DIVISION
105314 92660 14% 966479 850251 14% 1268357 1148084 10%
TOTAL CAR
56843 48593 17% 507117 531712 -5% 660322 702628 -6%
TOTAL TRUCK
129626 131538 -1% 1186988 1049226 13% 1592239 1443135 10%
TOTAL CAR & TRUCK
186469 180131 4% 1694105 1580938 7% 2252561 2145763 5%
Total Minivan
35405 45508 -22% 372540 369485 1% 489192 489341 0%
Total Sport Utility
44749 40100 12% 398638 306793 30% 544958 436806 25%
Selling Days
26 26 205 205 282 282
Sales Reporting & Analysis
09/01/98