April 2014 International Brand US Auto Sales

WASHINGTON, DC - May 2, 2014: The AIADA reported that warmer temperatures and low interest rates helped drive growth of retail sales in April, offsetting a dip in fleet purchases. Brands able to capitalize on the surge included Kia (up 12.9 percent from April 2013), Nissan (up 18.5 percent), Subaru (up 21.7 percent), and Toyota (up 11.7 percent). Meanwhile, Volkswagen saw sales fall 8.4 percent, contributing to a total dip of 10.4 percent for the year.

“North America is thawing out from a tough winter, and sales are heating up,” said AIADA President Cody Lusk. “April’s positive sales report indicates strong demand and transaction prices that bode well for the remainder of 2014.”

International Brands Continue to Occupy Majority of U.S. Market

International nameplate brands occupied 53.9 percent and sold 750,328 vehicles, down from a market share of 55.1 percent and sales of 847,047 units last month.

Asian nameplates occupied 44.9 percent of the market, down from 46.1 percent in March, but up from 44.4 percent in February. They sold 624,892 vehicles, down from 707,962 in March. Asian brands are up 11 percent over last April when they occupied 43.8 percent of the market. European brands held 9 percent of the U.S. auto market in April, on par with last month’s market share. They sold 125,436 vehicles, down from 139,085 vehicles in March. However, they also finished the month ahead of last April, with sales up 9.3 percent overall. Domestic brands took 46 percent of April’s U.S. auto market, up from 44.9 percent last month, with sales of 640,185 units.

International Brands Maintain Popularity

International nameplate brands continue to be among the most popular in the U.S. Nameplates from Toyota, Honda, and Nissan occupied six of the top ten spots on April’s top ten list—up from five last month and four in March.

Despite competition, the Toyota Camry maintained its lead as America’s top-selling car, taking the third spot behind the Ford F-Series and Chevrolet Silverado pickups. In fifth, the Honda Accord moved up one spot from March. In tenth place for the month, the Nissan Altima rounded out the list of international nameplate mid-size sedans.

Other international nameplates logging top ten finishes for the month included the compact Toyota Corolla (sixth place) and Honda Civic (eighth place). The Honda CR-V also moved three spots up the list to number seven.

North American Manufacturing Base is Strong

International brands have a considerable and growing production footprint in North America. Together, Asian and European brands sourced 472,108 cars and trucks sold in April from their North American plants. Asian brands sourced 251,728 cars and 187,162 trucks from these facilities, while European brands sourced 18,622 cars and 14,596 trucks.

Outlook

AutoData Corp. estimates the seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) for April at 16.04 million, an improvement from 15.9 million units in April 2013. Sales for all brands, unadjusted for business days, were up 8.1 percent over April 2013 and 3.1 percent year to date.