Each of the Big Three reported year-over-year sales gains for May, with Chrysler Group leading the way with a 17 percent increase. General Motors Co. reported a 13 percent jump from the year before, and Ford Motor Co. saw a 3 percent rise.
Auburn Hills-based Chrysler, which sold 194,421 units in May, its Jeep brand saw the largest sales gains, topping 70,000 U.S. sales in a single month for the first time.
“Our Jeep sport-utility vehicles and Ram pickups continued to do well in May as our dealers reported brisk May sales over five weekends and the Memorial Day holiday,” says Reid Bigland, Chrysler’s head of sales. “For the third consecutive month, our Jeep brand recorded its best sales month ever helping Chrysler Group to achieve its 50th-consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains.”
General Motors’ dealers delivered 284,694 vehicles in the U.S. last month, marking the company’s best May in seven years and its best total sales since August 2008. Chevrolet had the strongest month, representing more than 70 percent of the automaker’s May sales.
The momentum we generated in April carried into May, with all four brands performing well in a growing economy and 17 vehicle lines posting double-digit retail sales increases or better,” said Kurt McNeil, GM’s U.S. vice president of sales operations.
For Ford, which sold 254,084 vehicles in the U.S. last month, the Fusion and Escape had their best months ever, with nearly 15 percent and 10 percent increases, respectively, says John Felice, Ford’s vice president of U.S. marketing, sales, and service.
“Explorer (which saw a 21 percent increase) continued to gain ground in the midsize utility segment with its best monthly sales performance in nearly 10 years, while Lincoln MKZ saw its best May ever (with 3,714 cars sold),” Felice says.
