Dealers Report Monthly U.S. Sales Figures

Alexandria, VA (November 2) – The American International Automobile Dealers Association (AIADA) today released October sales figures for the international nameplate auto industry. Brands sold by America's 9,600 international nameplate franchises accounted for 55.3 percent of all new vehicles sold in the United States last month, up from 54.5 percent a year ago.

AutoData Corp. reports that the seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) for October was 18.09 million units versus 17.87 million units a year ago. Total industry unit deliveries, including domestic brands and unadjusted for business days, decreased 1.3 percent compared to last October. International brands bucked that trend by rising 0.08 percent as a group. Sales for all brands were down 1.7 percent year to date. Industrywide, 1,354,875 vehicles were sold in October compared to 1,372,320 units sold a year ago.

"October's steady sales rate is a testament to the quality of light vehicles being sold today and the American consumers' confidence in the health of our economy," said AIADA President Cody Lusk. "Last month's SAAR, the second highest of 2018, gives dealers every reason to believe we will close out the year on a high note."

International brands sold just 634 more light vehicles from a year ago, with sales down year to date 0.36 percent. Brands like Honda (up 1.2 percent from last October), Nissan (up 10.2 percent), and Toyota (up 2.5 percent – thanks to a 19 percent jump in light truck sales) were responsible for the month's solid results. Most sales improvements were driven by light truck purchases, which rose 3.6 percent as a segment from last October, while cars continued to lag, down 9.1 percent from a year ago.

International auto sales in the U.S. totaled 748,614 in October, down from 848,906 in September and 822,952 vehicles in August. Asian brands occupied 45.6 percent of the October auto market, down from 46.5 in September. Overall, Asian nameplate dealers sold 618,443 vehicles in October, a half a percent dip from October 2016.

European brands sold 130,171 in October, down from 140,857 vehicles in September, and held 9.6 percent of the October U.S. auto market, up from 9.2 percent in September. Overall sales for European brands were up three percent from last October and 2.1 percent for the year. 

To read AIADA's complete coverage of October's 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.