May Auto Sales Make Up for April Slump

In retrospect, April was a bit of a disappointing month overall for auto sales, especially compared to the rest of 2013 and late 2012. As the numbers come in from May, however, it is clear that this is going to mark a strong start to the summer.

Among the month’s winners were General Motors, who reported the best monthly sales since September 2008, as well as Nissan with its best May sales ever. According to early reports, Chrysler, Ford, and Toyota also had increased sales in May, but as of publication, those numbers are not finalized yet.

Going into the summer months, pickup sales are expected to continue rising. People are buying them for both business and pleasure, from home construction to camping and off-road recreation. The F-Series, Ram, and Chevy Silverado have all sold very well so far and are expected to see a healthy spike when May’s sales numbers are finalized.

With May over, summer is officially here. Are you ready to move more inventory and boost foot traffic in your dealership? Special Finance Group is ready to assist you with their Complete Special Finance Solution. To learn more about what Special Finance Group can do for you, go to http://www.specialfinancegroup.com, and connect with Special Finance Group on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Image courtesy of arztsamui / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Analysts: Record Profits for Ford in First Quarter

Analysts at Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan Chase & Co. are estimating that in the first quarter of 2013, Ford has posted its highest first quarter North American profit ever.

Ford earned approximately $2.7 billion pretax profit in North America since the beginning of the year, and if those numbers are correct, it will be a new personal record for Ford. Some analysts are attributing Ford’s overall success to the success of the Fusion and the Focus compact as well as a generally strong overall line-up. The first quarter has also been extremely positive for the pickup market with an increased demand for the Ford F-Series and higher overall sales for full-size pickup trucks.

As more numbers are finalized and verified for the first quarter of 2013, dealerships and automakers should be ready to respond and continue the momentum of the first quarter, particularly with pickup sales. Full-size pickups are in high demand again, and dealerships should be ready to meet that need.

If you are looking to move more inventory and boost foot traffic in your dealership, Special Finance Group is ready to assist you with their Complete Special Finance Solution. To learn more about what Special Finance Group can do for you, go to http://www.specialfinancegroup.com, and connect with Special Finance Group on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.