<<Auto sales in U.S. off 5.8 pct Sept 1-20 -- CNW
NEW YORK, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Automobile sales in the United States fell 5.8 percent in the first 20 days of September, compared with the same period a year ago, based on vehicle delivery data, CNW Marketing /Research reported Tuesday.
Total vehicle deliveries fell to 647,486 units during September 1-20, from 687,352 delivered during the same period last year, CNW said.
Floor traffic at dealerships has fallen a ''staggering'' 17.6 percent compared to September 1997, CNW reported. ''Much of that decline can be traced to middle-upper and upper-income consumers who were shaken by the stock market's roller coaster ride and delayed any additions to their family vehicle fleet,'' the report said.
Deliveries of domestic cars fell by 14.8 percent, totaling 187,411 units during the survey period, versus 219,952 in September 1997. Domestic truck sales rose by 0.5 percent, with total deliveries of 248,563 units versus 247,447 units in the same period of 1997.
Imported car deliveries rose 1.4 percent to 169,354 units from 167,027. A total of 42,158 foreign trucks were delivered, a drop of 20.3 percent from 52,926 in the same period last year.
Year-to-date, vehicle deliveries in the United States totaled 10.49 million units, while dealers were likely to report a total of 1.08 million units in September, according to CNW.
CNW tracks deliveries of cars and trucks to buyers as a proxy for total sales, rather than relying on dealers' reported sales. >> |
