GM Sales Surge 16% in March, FCA US Jumps 14%, and Ford up 3.4%

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Year-over-year sales for the Big 3 were up in March, with a 16 percent jump for Detroit’s General Motors Co., 14 percent for Auburn Hills’ FCA US, and 3.4 percent for Dearborn’s Ford Motor Co.

GM sold 296,341 vehicles in March. Buick saw its best March since 2004 with crossover sales up 50 percent. GMC crossover sales were up 42 percent, which is the best March for the brand in its history. Chevrolet reported its best sales since March 2007, with an increase of 39 percent.

“Consumers are keeping the U.S. economy growing and auto sales very healthy,” says Mustafa Mohatarem, GM’s chief economist. “The job market is strong, consumer confidence is at decade-high levels, and we see clear evidence that business owners are taking advantage of tax reform to upgrade their fleets.”

FCA U.S. reported its best March retail sales in 17 years with 216,063 vehicles sold over March 2017’s 190,254. Jeep brand saw its best month of total sales ever with sales rising 45 percent to 98,382 vehicles. Meanwhile, Ram Truck sales declined 13 percent to 44,878 vehicles. Chrysler brand total sales rose 15 percent to 19,499 vehicles.

Ford car sales dropped by 8.1 percent. The company saw its biggest jump in fleet sales with an increase of 8.7 percent. SUV sales saw an increase of 7.5 percent, while trucks saw an increase of 6.7 percent.

The company’s F-Series, which had its best results since 2000, reported its 11th straight month of gains in March, selling more than 87,000 trucks. Expedition sales were up 46 percent, and Lincoln Navigator sales were up 101.6 percent as inventories improved.

“March represented a strong start to the spring selling season for both Ford and the industry,” says Mark LaNeve, Ford vice president of U.S. marketing, sales, and service. “We saw incredible demand for our trucks and SUVs, selling over 87,000 F-Series pickups. Ford brand SUVs established a new sales record in March. Demand for our all-new Lincoln Navigator is off the charts, with some customers buying the SUV sight unseen.”