June Closes Strong to Keep 2012 Auto Sales at Solid Strength, Says Edmunds.com

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June auto sales continued at a healthy pace for an estimated Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate (SAAR) this month of 13.9 million light vehicles, according to Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive information. The projected SAAR indicates that sales gained more steam than expected at the end of the month after Edmunds.com projected a slower rate earlier this month.

“While 13.9 SAAR is not as impressive as the performance in the first quarter of this year, this month’s results are still strong, considering that deferred demand following last year’s earthquake has virtually dried up,” says Edmunds.com Senior analyst Jessica Caldwell. “But the healthiest sign for the industry is the pure volume of sales. June is expected to be the third highest-selling month since May 2008.”

Edmunds.com estimates that 1,270,901 new cars will be sold in June. The projected sales would be a 4.7 percent decrease from May 2012, but a 20.7 percent increase (unadjusted for number of selling days) from June 2011.

SALES VOLUME FORECAST, BY MANUFACTURER
Sales Volume	June-12 Forecast	June-11	May-12	Change from June 2011*	Change from May 2012
GM	233,987	215,335	245,256	8.7%	-4.6%
Ford	201,980	193,421	215,699	4.4%	-6.4%
Toyota	184,512	110,937	202,973	66.3%	-9.1%
Chrysler	143,521	120,394	150,041	19.2%	-4.3%
Honda	126,610	83,892	133,997	50.9%	-5.5%
Nissan	88,113	71,941	91,794	22.5%	-4.0%
Industry	1,270,901	1,052,772	1,334,131	20.7%	-4.7%
*NOTE: June 2012 had 27 selling days; June 2011 had 26

Edmunds.com estimates that retail SAAR will come in at 11.3 million vehicles in June, with fleet transactions accounting for 19.0 percent of total sales. An estimated 2.98 million used cars will be sold in June, for a SAAR of 37.0m (compared to 3.15 million – or a SAAR of 36.1 million – used car sales in May).

AUTOMAKER PERFORMANCE

Edmunds.com reports that every major automaker will report fewer month-over-month sales in June. But Japanese automakers Toyota (+66.3%) and Honda (+50.9%) will demonstrate the biggest year-over-year sales success of any of the Big 6 manufacturers this month. The results, however, will be misleading to casual observers, thanks to depressed sales last year in the wake of the Japanese earthquake.

MARKET SHARE FORECAST, BY MANUFACTURER
Market Share	June 12 Forecast	Jun-11	May-12	Change from June 2011 (Percentage pts.)	Change from May 2012 (Percentage pts.)
GM	18.4%	20.5%	18.4%	-2.0%	0.0%
Ford	15.9%	18.4%	16.2%	-2.5%	-0.3%
Toyota	14.5%	10.5%	15.2%	4.0%	-0.7%
Chrysler	11.3%	11.4%	11.2%	-0.1%	0.1%
Honda	10.0%	8.0%	10.0%	2.0%	0.0%
Nissan	6.9%	6.8%	6.9%	0.1%	0.0%

In terms of market share, the top automakers will remain relatively flat compared to last month. The biggest shift will be seen by Toyota, whose share is expected to fall 0.7 percentage points from May. Year-over-year market share changes will again reflect the struggling state of earthquake-ravaged Japanese automakers last June, with Toyota and Honda each regaining much of their lost share.

About Edmunds.com, Inc.

Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive information, launched in 1995 as the first automotive information Web site. Its acclaimed mobile site, Edmunds.com Android App and five-star Edmunds iPhone and iPad apps make car pricing and other research tools available for car shoppers at dealerships and on the go. Its automotive enthusiast web site, InsideLine.com, is the most-read car publication of its kind. Its highly regarded mobile site and iPhone app features the wireless Web's most comprehensive gallery of automotive photos and videos. Edmunds.com Inc. is headquartered in Santa Monica, California, and maintains a satellite office in suburban Detroit. Follow Edmunds.com on Twitter@edmunds and fan Edmunds.com on Facebook.