Editor's note: This story is part of the WardsAuto digital archive, which may include content that was first published in print, or in different web layouts.
World vehicle sales reversed trend slightly in September, outpacing year-ago by 10%.
The result decidedly was higher than August’s 3.4% uptick and marked the first time in five months the year-over-year growth rate increased.
September’s positive result was boosted by a 24.1% sales increase in North America, which was propelled by a particularly favorable comparison with year-ago, when U.S. vehicle deliveries fell off dramatically in the wake of the government’s “Cash-for-Clunkers” scrappage program.
But last month’s global spike was due to more than just year-old statistical anomalies. The 6.47 million vehicles sold represented the third-highest monthly total in 2010 and a 17.1% gain on August.
Nevertheless, growth in Asia/Pacific regions slowed for the seventh-consecutive month, falling to 14.3% as year-ago comparisons bump up against the beginning of the major market expansion that began in second-half 2009.
Through September, vehicle sales in the region were tracking at an all-time high of 23.9 million units – nearly 31% ahead of year-ago.
Related document: World Vehicle Sales Summary
South America’s vehicle deliveries through September rose an estimated 7%, compared with like-2009, largely on the strength of considerable growth in Argentina (48.9%) and Venezuela (47.4%).
Analysis
Sales in Brazil, the region’s largest and the world’s fourth-biggest vehicle market, dipped below year-ago levels in September for the first time this year. However, it still remains nearly 10% ahead of like-2009.
South America, as a whole, was tracking nearly 13% ahead of year-ago for the first nine months.
Europe, however, stood in stark contrast to other major markets last month, with vehicle sales falling 2.8% from year-ago.
September was the third-consecutive month Europe underperformed 2009 levels, set in an environment of widespread government scrappage programs. The monthly total left deliveries in the first nine months just 0.1% ahead of prior-year.
While much of the September data from outside Europe represents an improvement over recent months, the global 10% year-to-year global growth rate – the third-lowest in 2010 – can still be viewed as part of overall slowing of the world vehicle market.
Global third-quarter vehicle sales finished at 17.95 million units, 6.3% ahead of like-2009, compared with 14.4% in the second quarter and 27.1% in the first quarter. The downward trend continues to point to single-digit growth in the fourth quarter.
World vehicle sales through the first nine months now stand at 55.4 million units, up 15.7% from like-2009.
