Fleet stats cloud sales picture - Automotive News
June brought another surge in new-car and -truck sales, with Ford Motor Co. showing modest growth, while General Motors was alone among the major manufacturers to record a decline. But a closer look at the U. S. industry's sales reveals a more nuanced picture: In retail sales -- those to individual customers at dealerships -- GM was up 6. 8 percent last month, better than most other automakers. Ford, hurt by a short supply of F-150 pickups, struggled in retail sales and suffered a noteworthy setback: For the first time since the tumult of the 2009 crisis, the No. 2 U. S. automaker recorded fewer retail sales than crosstown rival Fiat... June's sales are a reminder of how automakers often use fleet sales to manage fluctuations in demand, or sometimes mask weaknesses in their product lines. During the last five years of recovery, the Detroit 3 have scaled back sales to rental companies to meet steadily rising consumer demand for new vehicles. They also have been careful to note the distinction between rental business and what they see as "good fleet" sales -- notably bulk sales to corporate and government customers. Source: www.autonews.com
