Chrysler LLC, +3%In its first month of bankruptcy, Chrysler nudged ahead 3%, likely driven by fire sales (especially toward the end of the month) at the 789 dealerships that learned in mid-May that they were losing their franchises. Perhaps that explains why Chrysler's biggest sales gains came from its weakest models; distressed merchandise was finally marked down so severely that even today's wary shoppers couldn't resist the bargains.
Advancers
Pacifica (discontinued) +105%
Sprinter +96%
Avenger +84%
Crossfire (discontinued) +81%
Sebring +50%
Liberty +39%
Nitro +36%
Compass +31%
Commander +29%
300 +25%
Aspen +23%
Patriot +20%
Caliber +17%
Decliners
Grand Caravan -15%
Charger -13%
Ram -13%
PT Cruiser -10%
Daimler-Benz, +2%
Mercedes-Benz inched forward in May, as the C-class and M-class attracted more buyers. Unfortunately, nearly every other Mercedes model saw lower sales compared to April.
Advancers
C-class +13%
R-class +13%
M-class +10%
Decliners
CL-class -33%
E-class -27%
S-class -23%
CLS-class -21%
CLK-class -14%
Smart -13%
American Honda, -3%
Honda's greater than 40% slide versus year-ago May was exaggerated by its booming sales last spring, during the small-car rush. Still, its 3% ride down from April is weak, but not catastrophic. The aging RDX pushed Acura ahead, and Honda saw advances in a variety of models (Fit, Insight, CRV, Element, Pilot, and Ridgeline). But none of it was enough to offset major declines in the company's two volume products, Accord and Civic.
Advancers
Fit +39%
Element +38%
RDX +36%
Insight +33%
Odyssey +28%
Ridgeline +23%
CRV +20%
Pilot +13%
Decliners
Accord -23%
Civic -21%
Top 5 sellers (and change from prior month)
Ford F-series 33,381 (+16%, up from 2nd place)
Chevy Silverado 31,463 (+19%, up from 3rd place)
Toyota Camry 31,325 (+24%, up from 5th place)
Toyota Corolla/Matrix 23,576 (+27%, knocks Honda Civic out of the top 5)
Honda Accord 22,597 (-23%, falls from 1st place)