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Black Friday could power record November sales

Black Friday allows some shoppers to line up in the wee hours for doorbuster deals on laptops and TVs, but the day after Thanksgiving could mean huge profits for automakers this year, too. Multiple industry analysts predict record growth for the industry for November, and the upcoming incentives could help those numbers. TrueCar predicts that Black Friday incentives could provide a major boost, and it estimates a November sales jump of 3.9 percent from last year to a record for the month at over 1.35 million vehicles. As examples of potential deals, Chevrolet, Buick, and GMC plan to offer up to 20 percent off some models, and FCA US has no-interest financing for up to 75 months from its brands. "Consumers are excited about Black Friday promotions and these month-long events appear to be resonating with car buyers." Eric Lyman, TrueCar's vice president of industry insights, said in the report. Black Friday only recently became a big day for auto sales, according to an analysis from Edmunds. Last year, Thanksgiving weekend posted double the sales as any other weekend in the month. The company predicts a sales volume of over 1.33 million vehicles for November. If that happens, it would be the beat the previous record of 1.32 million sales for the same month in 2001. Some forecasts temper the gains for November but only slightly. Kelley Blue Book predicts flat year-over-year sales at 1.3 million vehicles, but that's largely because there are two fewer sales days in 2015 versus in 2014. "Black Friday deals on vehicles have grown in popularity in recent years, and should be a big contributor to this month's sales results," said analyst Tim Fleming in the study. The combined research from J.D. Power and LMC Automotive have the lowest November prediction among this group at just over 1.279 million sales for the month versus 1.299 million in 2014. However, once the researchers adjust the figures for the two fewer selling days, 2015 could actually be seven percent higher than last year. TrueCar Finds New Auto Sales in November to Reach Monthly Record Black Friday promotions bolster sales gains; industrywide incentives up 6% from last year November 24, 2015 12:11 PM Eastern Standard Time SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--TrueCar, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRUE) projects total new vehicle sales, including fleet deliveries, will reach 1,352,500 units in November, a 3.9 percent increase from a year ago and the highest ever for the month.

Buick Encore blitzes first-year sales predictions

With its first full year of sales in the bag, it's safe to say that Buick has a hit on its hands with the Encore. US buyers have snatched up 31,046 of the small, premium crossovers since the Encore went on sale in January of 2013, while 97,311 were sold globally (not counting its counterparts from Opel and Vauxhall).
While we liked the Encore when we first drove it, we'll admit, we weren't sure how the tiny CUV would do. In fact, the first thing Executive Editor Chris Paukert wrote about the Encore was, "We admit it. We have no earthly idea how this whole thing is going to shake out." But it's done well, and has been subject to heavy demand over the past year, blowing away the estimates of analysts, who, according to an August story from Automotive News, projected no more than 18,500 units would be sold in 2013.
"Right out of the gate, demand for the Encore was high," Tony DiSalle, vice president of Buick marketing said in a statement. "It accounted for most of the segment's growth last year and that's because it offers the right safety, technology and features in the right-sized vehicle for many customers."

Even if GM does close all 5 of those plants, it'll still have too many

DETROIT — General Motors' monumental announcement on Monday that it will close three car assembly plants and two powertrain plants in North America and slash its workforce will only partially close the gap between capacity and demand for the automaker's sedans, according to a Reuters analysis of industry production and capacity data. Sales of traditional passenger cars in North America have been declining for the past six years and are still withering. After GM ends production next year at factories in Michigan, Ohio and Ontario, it will still have four U.S. passenger-car plants — all operating at less than 50 percent of rated capacity, according to figures supplied by LMC Automotive. In comparison, Detroit-based rivals Ford and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will have one car plant each in North America after 2019. The Detroit Three are facing rapidly dwindling demand for traditional passenger cars from U.S. consumers, many of whom have shifted to crossovers and trucks. Passenger cars accounted for 48 percent of retail light-vehicle sales in the United States in 2014, according to market researchers at J.D. Power and Associates. This year, sedans will account for less than a third of light vehicle sales. That shift in turn has left most North American car plants operating far below their rated capacities, while many SUV and truck plants are running on overtime. The collapse in passenger-car demand is a challenge for nearly all automakers in the United States, including Japan's Toyota and Honda, which have the top-selling models in the compact and midsize car segments. Toyota executives said last month they are evaluating the company's U.S. model lineup. But Toyota also plans to build compact Corolla sedans at a new $1.6 billion factory it is building in Alabama with partner Mazda. The obstacles facing GM in its plans to close more auto factories became apparent on Tuesday as U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to block payment of government electric vehicle subsidies to GM. While it is not certain that Trump unilaterally has the power to do that, he made it clear he intends to use his office to pressure the company to keep open a small car plant in Ohio that GM says will stop building vehicles in March.