Unlike Rivals, Toyota Saw Its Sales Fall in December

Most automakers finished 2010 on a high note, as new-vehicle sales in the United States surged in December despite a lack of big discounts.
But Toyota’s struggles continued in December, as the carmaker dealt with the fallout from the recall of millions of vehicles in the last year or so. Toyota said its sales were down 0.4 percent in 2010 and 5.5 percent in December

That contrasted sharply with its rivals. General Motors on Tuesday said its sales rose 7.5 percent in December and 6.3 percent for all of 2010, a year in which it shed four of its eight brands and completed the largest public stock offering in history. For its remaining brands — Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC — sales were up 15.5 percent in December and 21.3 percent on the year.

“Our sales this year reflect the impact of G.M.’s new business model,” Don Johnson, G.M.’s vice president of United States sales operations, said in a statement. “The consistency of results that we achieved demonstrates the focus on our brands, dealers and customers, and how we compete aggressively for every sale, every day.”

The Ford Motor Company said its sales were up 7 percent in December and 19 percent on the year, the largest increase for any full-line automaker. Ford’s market share increased for the second consecutive year, an achievement that had not happened since 1993.

“With our balanced line of high-quality, fuel-efficient products, we have a solid foundation to deliver more sales and improved results in 2011,” Ken Czubay, Ford’s vice president for United States marketing, sales and service, said in a statement. “Consideration for Ford is increasing beyond our traditional areas of strength — signaling that the seeds of growth already have taken hold.”

The industry expects to build on its momentum in 2011, with G.M. and Ford predicting that sales would rise to as high as 13.5 million, from about 11.8 million in 2010.

Chrysler sales were up 16 percent in December and 17 percent for the year.

Both G.M. and Ford reported big increases in sales of pickup trucks and crossover vehicles. Trucks rebounded in 2010, a positive signal for the economy, after demand for them plunged at the height of the recession.

Ford sold 528,349 of its F-series truck during the year, the nation’s best-selling vehicle, 27.7 percent more than in 2009. Sales of G.M.’s full-size pickups were up 16.7 percent, to 499,929.

G.M. sold 326 of its newly introduced plug-in hybrid car, the Chevrolet Volt, in December.

Analysts expected the seasonally adjusted selling rate for new vehicles, a closely watched measure of the industry’s health, to be about 12.5 million in December. That is slightly higher than the previous few months and a considerable improvement from the average for the year.

Automakers were projected to sell about 11.8 million vehicles in 2010, compared to 10.3 million in 2009.

“The consumer is coming back to the showrooms, particularly in the more affluent and higher quality credit segments,” Brian Johnson, an analyst with Barclays Capital, wrote in a recent note to clients.