I read a couple of articles today and something does not make sense.  For January, sales figures by maker were as follows (versus January 2009):


Hyundai up 50%
Ford up 24%
GM up 14%
Honda down 5%
Chrysler down 8%
Toyota down 16%


Yet in their press release, Chrysler (a company that we American and Canadian citizens own) states that January "continues the trend of increasing market share for the company".  They have cherry-picked the models that sold more in January yet are silent about the majority of their business which has continued to tank.

Think about it... January 2009 was a horrid month for auto sales and Chrysler did even worse this year.   8-P  In what world would these results be "increased market share" given that the bulk of the competition scored substantial sales INCREASES?

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/chrysler-group-llc-continues-trend-of-improving-sales-reports-january-2010-us-sales-83366152.html

The only company that recorded a larger year-over-year sales DROP was Toyota, who voluntarily stopped selling cars for the last week of the month.

In reading the press release (above link) it strikes me that Chrysler is "cooking the books" or somehow fudging and telling "white lies".

Any thoughts from my fellow owners? ???



Oh, one other thing... This company which we bailed out and which we own, is offering a FREE V-8 ENGINE UPGRADE on Dodge Magnums as an incentive.  That's our money folks... incenting people to buy gas guzzling vehicles.   >:(

I own 2 Hyundai's for a good reason, excellent value, performance and safety for less money than comparible vehicles.

we have a joke we say at work sometimes but there's a ring of truth to it..."we make our numbers" so fudging the numbers is not a surprise.

Yet in their press release, Chrysler (a company that we American and Canadian citizens own) states that January "continues the trend of increasing market share for the company".  They have cherry-picked the models that sold more in January yet are silent about the majority of their business which has continued to tank.

Think about it... January 2009 was a horrid month for auto sales and Chrysler did even worse this year.  8-P  In what world would these results be "increased market share" given that the bulk of the competition scored substantial sales INCREASES?


Why, the world in which they defined "increased market share" as "in these business segments", meaning the segments that contain the models they cherry-picked for the December-to-January monthly sales "trend".  It only has to be true enough to make it unprofitable to file a false advertising claim!

(My favorites are ones in which some company misses earnings estimates by a country mile, and the stock's going to get creamed, and they report "Record earnings!"  Yes, you earned $1.01 this quarter, and $1.00 last quarter, and that makes it a record, but if the Street was expecting $1.10, you failed epically, and stop trying to dress it up :)

Karma to LyricBoy, for he has taught us all how to properly read a press release.  (If I were a teacher, I'd have shot myself made something like this a weekly assignment.  Everyone brings in one press release of their choosing, and we spend one day a month debunking all of them sentence by sentence.)

Maybe Toyota and Chrysler should merge...they're both having issues!

I read a couple of articles today and something does not make sense.  For January, sales figures by maker were as follows (versus January 2009):


Hyundai up 50%
Ford up 24%
GM up 14%
Honda down 5%
Chrysler down 8%
Toyota down 16%


Yet in their press release, Chrysler (a company that we American and Canadian citizens own) states that January "continues the trend of increasing market share for the company".  They have cherry-picked the models that sold more in January yet are silent about the majority of their business which has continued to tank.

Think about it... January 2009 was a horrid month for auto sales and Chrysler did even worse this year.   8-P   In what world would these results be "increased market share" given that the bulk of the competition scored substantial sales INCREASES?

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/chrysler-group-llc-continues-trend-of-improving-sales-reports-january-2010-us-sales-83366152.html

The only company that recorded a larger year-over-year sales DROP was Toyota, who voluntarily stopped selling cars for the last week of the month.

In reading the press release (above link) it strikes me that Chrysler is "cooking the books" or somehow fudging and telling "white lies".

Any thoughts from my fellow owners? ???



Oh, one other thing... This company which we bailed out and which we own, is offering a FREE V-8 ENGINE UPGRADE on Dodge Magnums as an incentive.  That's our money folks... incenting people to buy gas guzzling vehicles.   >:(
GM and Ford sales increased because of sales to rental fleets. I mean 37% of Ford's sales last month were to fleets. Ford's retail sales were down 5% last month. GM's retail sales were down 10% ast month but rental fleets were 29% of all their sales last month. I don't know what % of Chrysler total sales were to fleets last month though. Nissan/Infiniti even outsold Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge 67K units to 62K units last month.

Just read an article wherre the new Fiat 500... which is the model which will be marketed as a Chrsler vehicle and will be the big reason for its salvation...

...Is going to be made in Mexico.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN0820757920100209

What a fantastic job the currrent administrations (Both in USA and Canada, both of which propped up Chrysler with our tax money) have done in sending jobs offshore, now using direct taxpayer money.

Odd... I though the purpose of propping up Chrysler was to create/preserve jobs for Americans and Canadians.

Just read an article wherre the new Fiat 500... which is the model which will be marketed as a Chrsler vehicle and will be the big reason for its salvation...

...Is going to be made in Mexico.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN0820757920100209

What a fantastic job the currrent administrations (Both in USA and Canada, both of which propped up Chrysler with our tax money) have done in sending jobs offshore, now using direct taxpayer money.

Odd... I though the purpose of propping up Chrysler was to create/preserve jobs for Americans and Canadians.


Will we be seeing Fiats in America in the near future...as well as Renaults?

Will we be seeing Fiats in America in the near future...as well as Renaults?


Yes, you'll be seeing a new Chrysler/Fiat along the side of your roads soon, starting some time next year.