Chrysler tops October sales increases at 27%

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Ford sales climbed 6% in October, while GM sales were up just 2% from a year ago, and Chrysler Group sales shot up 27%. Toyota’s sales were down 8% for the month, while Korean carmakers continue to excel. Ford sold 167,803 cars during October, led by strong truck (8%) and SUV sales (38%).


Ford Explorer sales soared in October, up 225%, compared to a year ago. For the year, the redesigned Explorer has more than doubled its sales compared to last year. Additionally, the Ford Escape topped more than 200,000 units sold for the year, the first time the model crossed that threshold in its 11-year history, Ford execs said in a news release.

GM retail sales were up 3% and accounted for 77% of all sales, the carmaker said in a release. GM sold 186,895 vehicles in October with Chevy leading the way with 131,804 units. The largest brand for GM saw sales increase of 6% compared to last October. All of GM’s other brands reported sales drops: Buick was down 7%, Cadillac sales fell 11.9%, and GMC sales fell off 4.6%. However, GM pointed out that all four brands have had marked sales increases for the calendar year.

Meanwhile, Chrysler’s vehicle sales jumped 27% in October, the 19th consecutive month of YOY sales gains. The company sold 114,512 vehicles during the month, its best October in sales since 2007, Chrysler said. The sales spike was driven by retail sales, up 40% from the same month last year, the company said.

Nissan North America reported a jump of 18% in its October sales, setting a new record for the month with 75,484 units sold. Nissan saw sales increase 22.1%, while its luxury brand Infiniti reported a sales loss of 13.5%.

Toyota reported sales of 115,954, an 8% drop in sales from a year ago. The Toyota brand saw sales fall 7%, while the luxury Lexus brand was down 14%.

Kia Motors had its best-ever October with sales of 37,690 cars and trucks, up 21% from a year ago. Kia has had 14 straight monthly sales records and TYD sales are up 35%. The Kia brand has eclipsed the 400,000 vehicle sales mark for the first time in its history.

Hyundai Motor’s 52,402 U.S. sales in October were up 23% from a year ago and have guaranteed that 2011 will go down in the company’s history books. Hyundai’s YTD total of 545,316 has beaten the 2010 FY sales record of 538,228.