2012 Closed with 14.5 Million Autos Sold

Auto sales in the U.S. leapt to 14.5 million units in 2012, a 13% year-over-year gain – and the highest volume in five years.

The year closed with a hearty 1.4 million cars and light trucks sold last month, which was a 9% increase from December 2011. The seasonally adjusted annual sales rate reached 15.4 million — the second consecutive month above 15 million — and that momentum is expected to continue well into 2013.

Volkswagen Group and its namesake brand both finished with a strong 35% gain, while General Motors and Ford Motor Co. saw a marketshare loss with single-digit percentage gains in December and the year overall. Toyota and its rival Honda saw the biggest share gains.

Highlights from 2012 Auto Sales:

• For the second straight year, BMW beat Mercedes-Benz in the U.S. luxury-brand race, driven by its competitive lease pull-ahead program. The automaker sold 281,460 light vehicles in 2012 as Mercedes-Benz moved 274,084 units, a wider gap than BMW’s 2,715-unit lead the previous year.
• Despite a 23% increase, Lexus came in third with 244,166 units. From 2000 to 2010, the automaker was the bestselling U.S. luxury brand.
• With a 27% rise, Acura took the fourth-place slot in luxury sales, outselling GM’s Cadillac, which moved down to No. 5 following its 2% drop in volume. Audi, Infiniti, Lincoln, Volvo, Land Rover, Porsche, and Jaguar rounded out the segment’s Top 10.
• Even as its volume fell 4% last year, the Chevrolet Camaro won the pony-car round, outselling the Ford Mustang by 1,396 units. The previous year saw a much wider winning streak as the Camaro bested the Mustang by nearly 18,000 units. Mustang sales in 2012 rose 18%.

• The Ford F series truck and Toyota Camry both held onto their respective titles of bestselling US. truck and car. The F series had a 10% increase to 645,316 units as the Camry jumped 31% to 404,888 units.
• Following a late uptick, the Chevy Silverado pickup remained the second bestseller among all vehicles. The pickup outsold the Camry by 19,292 units last month, bringing its yearly total to 418,312.