September Sales: Don’t Let the Numbers Fool You

ID-10045478-300x300Overall sales numbers were down for the month of September, but Autoblog’s By the Numbers claims that might not be a bad thing.

In September 2013, total sales were up for BMW Group, Ford Motor Company, and Chrysler Group while Toyota, Nissan, and American Honda all saw a drop in total sales when compared to September 2012. As By the Numbers explains, however, the important numbers are not the total sales but rather the daily average sales rate. September 2012 had two more business days than September 2013, so the dealerships would have had to perform much better on their daily sales rate to top September 2012.

Out of the four automakers that had a drop in total sales, only two of those automakers had a drop in their daily average sales rate. Toyota Motor Company and Nissan actually had a small increase in their daily average sales rate in September 2013 compared to September 2012. American Honda and General Motors were the only companies that had a drop in daily average sales rates.

Going into the fall, it is going to be tougher to tap into the out-on-the-road excitement that car buyers have during the summertime. Kids are back to school, and people are settling into a daily routine and not immediately thinking of buying a new car. For dealerships that have a thriving special finance department, however, this is less of a concern. Customers with subprime credit are getting denied at dealerships every day, and many of them need a car for work or for their families. Dealerships with Special Finance Group’s Complete Special Finance Solution are prepared to work with these customers and help them get into a new or used car, and even in slower times of the year, these dealerships can bring in higher sales.

Want to learn more about how Special Finance Group can work for your dealership? Go to http://www.specialfinancegroup.com today to learn more about the Complete Special Finance Solution, and connect with Special Finance Group on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn!

Image courtesy of digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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

Auto Sales: April’s Big Winners

Now that April is done and the sales numbers are finalized, the auto industry is seeing that April might not have been as strong as March, but some automakers finished up April feeling very happy indeed.

Among the best performers in April were Nissan with 80,003 units, Ram with 32,124 units, and Ford with 204,969 units sold. Compared to 2012, they had volume increases of 24.62 percent, 49.38 percent, and 17.77 percent respectively.

Nissan NA was the highest performing automaker overall, however, with a 23.16 percent increase over April 2012. They also saw an 18.23 percent daily sales rate increase. Chrysler Group had Ram’s strong sales in their favor, but it was brought down by Chrysler’s disappointing numbers, only bringing in 27,836 compared to 31,879 in April 2012.

Going into May, dealerships will be enjoying some of the best weather they will have all year. Americans will be thinking about getting out of town, going to the beach, or hitting the road for summer vacation, and if they don’t have a road-ready car, they will need to get one soon. Plus, consumers are still figuring out how to spend their tax refund. With the right marketing push, dealerships could make a lot of money in May.

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.

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.

September: Game Changer for 2012 Auto Sales

August was a strong month for auto sales, continuing the trend of upward sales that hasn’t let up in 2012. General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler all had significant bumps from August 2011 with anywhere from 10 percent to 25 percent increases in total sales. In September, however, sales strategies need to change for dealerships across the country as the new line-up rolls in and the used inventory, including the 2012 line-up, need to be moved off the lot.

September has already been called the best month to buy a used car by Time Magazine’s MoneyLand, and with high school and college students heading back to class, young drivers will be looking for an affordable first car. It is a time that dealerships have the potential to make a lot of sales on used cars, but since most dealerships will have their minds on the new car launches, they might miss out on these sales.

Here is where Special Finance Group can help and make sure a dealership makes the most of this extremely promising month. With the Complete Special Finance Solution, dealerships can move more of their used inventory without taking away time from the dealership’s other priorities. Special Finance Group’s call center is devoted to contacting potential customers, screening them based on information included on their application, and then setting up an appointment at the dealership. From there, two special finance experts will meet with these appointments, set them up with financing, and get them into a new or used car depending upon what they qualify for. Quite simply, the Complete Special Finance Solution helps dealerships move more inventory with less hassle.

Does your dealership have the Complete Special Finance Solution yet? Learn more by going to http://www.specialfinancegroup.com, and connect with us by liking Special Finance Group on Facebook, following Special Finance Group on Twitter, and checking Special Finance Group on LinkedIn.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Wall Street Journal Calls 2012 “A Green Light for Car Loans”

Last week, one of the nation’s most trusted sources of financial news said that now is the time for car buyers to say yes and get into that new or used car.

The Wall Street Journal’s article “A Green Light for Car Loans” laid out all the reasons why there has never been a better time for consumers to buy and dealers to sell, even if the car buyer has poor credit. Most lenders have changed their auto loan standards to give consumers with poor credit the opportunity to re-establish their credit history and improve their credit score. Car buyers, including sub-prime borrowers, have returned the favor by keeping up with their payments, mainly because car repossession is easier than a home foreclosure or collecting on credit card debts. The U.S. chief executive at Toyota Motor Corp was happy with the trend, stating, “We are seeing more ‘subprime,’ which is good,” and Gary McAlister, general manager at the Fairway Ford Lincoln Subaru dealership in South Carolina, was pleased that “the credit issue has eased up.”

News stories like the Wall Street Journal’s recent piece are giving a push to consumers on the fence about buying a car, and the first place they go to look for a car or a car loan is the internet. Special Finance Group wants to help dealerships make the most of this extraordinary time by working tirelessly to match lenders with car buyers. With the Complete Special Finance Solution, dealerships in the Special Finance Group network get access to Special Finance Group’s online resources, their leads generated through internet advertising and social media outreach, and a call center full of highly trained customer service representatives whose sole task is setting up appointments for network dealerships. With Special Finance Group, dealerships can get more customers in the door and sell more cars without taking time away from the dealership or distracting the sales team from what they do best, which is selling cars.

You can learn more about the Complete Special Finance Solution here, and get the latest news and updates from Special Finance Group by liking Special Finance Group on Facebook, following Special Finance Group on Twitter, and connecting with Special Finance Group on LinkedIn.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

American Auto Makers See Year-End Boost

As 2011 closed out and 2012 began, it was clear that the end is not near for Detroit automakers.

In 2011, sales for new cars, trucks, and crossovers jumped 10.2 percent, and Chrysler Group alone had 37 percent sales increase compared to December 2010. Chrysler wasn’t the only domestic auto company to see big sales, though. Ford and GM also posted high sales numbers for 2011 with a sales increase of 17 percent and 14 percent respectively.

The jump in sales can be attributed to two main factors. First, domestic auto makers have been stepping up their game and making their newer models even better. Chrysler Group and their Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, and Ram brands are great examples. Second, banks are becoming far more aggressive with their special finance programs. They want to help the millions of Americans who have challenged credit to get into a car. The trouble is that if someone has damaged credit, there is no way to rebuild it unless someone gives them the chance. Unless they have a credit card to make payments on or a car to pay off, there is no way to build up a positive payment history.

With the high demand for vehicles and millions of consumers with challenged credit, there is no better time to sign up with Special Finance Group’s Complete Special Finance Solution. Learn more about the program here and go to http://www.specialfinancegroup.com to find out what Special Finance Group could do for your auto dealership. You can also follow us on Facebook here.

Image: Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net