Alexandria, VA (September 5) – The American International Automobile Dealers Association (AIADA) today released August sales figures for the international nameplate auto industry. Brands sold by America's 9,600 international nameplate franchises accounted for 55.5 percent of all new vehicles sold in the United States in August, down from 58.5 percent in July.

AutoData Corp. reports that the seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) for August was 16.14 million units, compared to 17.22 million units in August 2016. Unadjusted for business days, sales of all brands were down 1.9 percent from last August and 2.7 percent for the year-to-date. Industrywide, 1,483,330 vehicles were sold in August, up from 1,415,139 in July, but down from 1,512,605 units a year ago.

"Hurricane Harvey took a toll on August auto sales, but we expect this trend to be short lived," said AIADA President Cody Lusk. "As clean up continues and consumers find themselves in the market for new vehicles, dealers are optimistic that the industry will close out the remaining months of 2017 on a high sales note."

Hurricane Harvey, which left a large swath of Texas underwater late in the month, made a dent in overall auto sales figures. Sales for international brands were down 2.6 percent from last August and 1.4 percent for the year-to-date, with brands like Hyundai (down 25.5 percent from last August), and Nissan (down 14.8 percent) taking the biggest hits. Despite the month's challenges, several international brands finished the month on a high note, including Subaru (up 4.6 percent from last August), Toyota (up 8 percent), Volkswagen (up 9 percent), and Volvo (up 4.1 percent).

International auto sales in the U.S. totaled 822,952 vehicles in August, down from 828,772 in July, but up from 816,332 vehicles in June. Asian brands occupied 46.3 percent of the August auto market, down from 49.6 percent in July and 46.8 percent in August 2016. Overall, Asian nameplate dealers sold 686,824 vehicles in August, a 2.9 percent drop from August 2016.

European brands sold 136,128 vehicles in August, up from 126,157 in July, but down from 137,773 sold in August 2016. European brands held 9.2 percent of the August U.S. auto market, up from 8.9 percent last month and 9.1 percent in August 2016. Overall August auto sales for these brands were down 1.2 percent from last August.

To read AIADA's complete coverage of August international nameplate auto sales, click here. 

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About AIADA: Established in 1970, AIADA is and continues to be the only association whose sole purpose is to represent America's international nameplate automobile franchises that sell and service the following brands: Acura, Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Ferrari, Genesis, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Jaguar, Kia, Land Rover, Lexus, Maserati, Mazda, Mercedes, MINI, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Porsche, Rolls Royce, Scion, Smart, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo. These retailers have a positive economic impact both nationally and in the local communities they serve, providing more than 500,000 American jobs. Visit AIADA online at www.aiada.org.