George Pipas said Monday that U.S. auto sales in December are running about 12 million seasonally adjusted annual rate (Saar) for the third consecutive month, sales and 2011 will be "closer to 13 million 12.
"We have great confidence that 2011 will be stronger sales of 'year," Pipas said.
Edmunds.com gives its December sales forecast this week and is looking for 2011 sales of about 12.9 million vehicles.
The Relatively High Note Ends
The U.S. auto industry has had four quarters of sequential improvement in the Saar a 10.7 million SAAR in the fourth quarter of 2009 to 12 million in the fourth quarter of this year - the highest since the premium puzzle power the third quarter of 2008.
Pipas said in December DDA could be slightly above or slightly below 12 million a wound. The "joker", he said, is the fact that Christmas and New Year holidays fall on weekends, which is usually very busy selling days in parts of the country, but when retailers will be closed this year.
He predicted a close year total to 11.5 million vehicles sold, still ranks up sales in the second year for the industry since 1982, 2009 was the worst since.
Still, Pipas said, "how do we end in 2010, bodes well for 2011, 12 million is a good starting point."
Ford has not issued an official, but the forecasts issued in 2011 reiterated Pipas of Ford, Alan Mulally, CEO of last week that 2011 industry sales in the United States "will be closer to 13 to 12 million euros. "
Two main factors slowed travel sales increased: unemployment and housing.
Little expected employment growth will "weigh on economic growth into 2011," Pipas said. In addition, he said, there are no signs that the housing sector will recover, and "Home sales and trucks are closely correlated."
Ford Solid Performance
Ford is on track to rank No. 2 in U.S. sales, ahead of Toyota for the first time since 2007. Ford's sales increases have doubled the industry average this year compared to last, which Ford to increase market share to 16.4 percent. In fact, Ford has earned a point of market share every year since 2008.
Pipas not expect the market share from Ford in 2011, but said the automaker is looking for growth.
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