DETROIT -- Ford Motor Co.'s U.S. sales fell 9.1 percent in December, and the automaker's U.S. sales for 2005 fell 5.0 percent from 2004.

Sales for Ford Motor, which includes Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo, totaled 266,125 units in December. For 2005, the automaker's sales totaled 3,153,781 units.

BMW saw its December sales fall 1.3 percent from the same month a year earlier, to 28,940 units. But the German luxury automaker's sales for 2005 grew 3.7 percent to 307,465 units. BMW's sales include the Mini and Rolls-Royce brands.

Japanese automaker Subaru posted sales of 19,919 units in December, up 3.1 percent from December 2004. For all of 2005, Subaru's sales totaled 196,002 units, up 4.6 percent from a year earlier.

U.S. car and light-truck sales, Dec. & YTD


Dec. 2005 Dec. 2004 Pct. chng. 12 mos. 2005 12 mos. 2004 Pct. chng.
BMW* 28,940 29,327 -1.3% 307,465 296,524 3.7%
Daimler-
Chrysler** - - -% - - -%
Ford Motor
Co.*** 266,125 292,870 -9.1% 3,153,781 3,319,767 –5.0%
General
Motors**** - - -% - - -%
American
Honda† - - -% - - -%
Hyundai
Group†† - - -% - - -%
Isuzu 839 1,680 -50.1% 12,177 27,188 -55.2%
Mazda – – –% – – –%
Mitsubishi - - -% - - -%
Nissan††† – – –% – – –%
Porsche - - -% - - -%
Subaru 19,919 19,324 3.1% 196,002 187,402 4.6%
Suzuki – – –% – – –%
Toyota‡ - - -% - - -%
VW‡‡ – – –% – – –%
Other
(estimate) 375 314 19.4% 4,090 2,956 38.4%
TOTAL 316,198 343,515 –8.0% 3,673,515 3,833,837 –4.2%
Numbers in this table are calculated by Automotive News based on actual monthly sales reported by the manufacturers and may differ from numbers reported elsewhere.

Source: Automotive News Data Center
Note: Other includes estimates for Ferrari, Lamborghini and Lotus
*Includes Mini and Rolls-Royce
**Includes Mercedes-Benz
***Includes Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo
****Includes Saab
†Includes Honda Division and Acura
††Includes Hyundai and Kia
†††Includes Nissan Division and Infiniti
‡Includes Toyota Division, Scion and Lexus
‡‡Includes VW, Audi and Bentley

DETROIT -- As Ford Division's truck sales fell dramatically in 2005, Chevrolet unseated its rival as the top-selling U.S. brand for the first time in 19 years.

Ford's car sales actually grew in 2005, but the division's truck sales fell 189,932 units. Final tally for 2005: Chevrolet, 2,651,124; Ford Division, 2,634,041.

U.S. auto sales totaled 16,912,554 units in 2005, up a scant 0.4 percent from 2004.

But General Motors and Ford Motor saw full-year sales drop 4.3 percent and 5.0 percent, respectively, for the year.

Conversely, Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. saw its U.S. sales grow 9.7 percent last year to 2,260,296 units, while America Honda Motor Co.'s sales rose 4.9 percent to 1,462,472 units. DaimlerChrysler's U.S. sales, including Mercedes-Benz, rose 4.2 percent to 2,529,254 units for 2005.

Nissan North America notched more than 1 million U.S. sales in a calendar year for the first time in its history, even as December sales fell 1.1 percent from December 2004 to 91,253 units. For the full year, Nissan and Infiniti sales totaled 1,076,669.

Also among the gainers for 2005 was the Hyundai Group, including the Kia brand, which posted a 6.1 percent gain to 730,863 units.

Sales in December totaled 1,477,595 units, down 3.9 percent from December 2004. The month's sales total translated into a seasonally adjusted sales rate of 17,796,847 units.



Chevy edges out Ford
The sales race between Ford and Chevrolet was closely watched and a bragging point for Chevy dealers.

It was the first time since 1986 that Chevrolet has been the top-selling brand in the United States. It beat Ford by 17,084 units after holding a 9,318-unit lead on Dec. 1.

Last year, Ford beat Chevrolet by 18,801 units.

There was just a bit of trash talking after the results were known.

"We're thrilled that consumers voted with their pocketbook and made Chevrolet the number one U.S. brand in 2005," said Mark LaNeve, GM's vice president of North America Vehicle Sales, Service and Marketing, in a statement. "But we're not going to spend time celebrating this accomplishment. We're headed right back to the important business of introducing 19 new vehicles this year and providing buyers with an industry-leading sales and service experience."

Meanwhile, Mark Fields, president of the Americas at Ford Motor, responded at the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show: "We won't chase after spurious sales crowns that don't matter to the consumer."


Both GM, Ford lose
Aside from the Chevrolet-Ford showdown, the top two U.S. automakers had a down year in 2005.

GM's full-year U.S. sales, including Saab, totaled 4,454,385 units, down 4.3 percent from 2004. In December, GM's sales were down 10.3 percent from December 2004 to 384,620 units despite a promotional push from its Red Tag Sale.

Sales for Ford Motor, which includes Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo, totaled 3,153,781 units in 2005, down 5.0 percent from 2004. December sales were 266,125 units, down 9.1 percent from December 2004, despite its own year-end incentive program.

Ford Motor affiliate Mazda saw its U.S. sales fall 8.2 percent in December to 19,156 units, compared with the same month a year earlier. For all of 2005, Mazda sold 258,399 vehicles in the United States, down 2.1 percent from 2004's total.


Toyota narrows gap on DaimlerChrysler
DaimlerChrysler held onto the No. 3 spot in U.S. sales for the year, but Toyota Motor Sales narrowed the gap. At the end of 2004, DaimlerChrysler lead Toyota by 367,585 units. At the end of 2005, that lead had shrunk to 268,958 units, a difference of 98,627 units.

December was a down month for DaimlerChrysler, as sales fell 2.3 percent from a year earlier to 220,671 units.

BMW saw its December sales fall 1.3 percent from the same month a year earlier, to 28,940 units. But the German luxury automaker's sales for 2005 grew 3.7 percent to 307,465 units. BMW's sales include the Mini and Rolls-Royce brands.

The Volkswagen group, which includes the Audi and Bentley brands, saw its sales rise 18.5 percent in December to 35,377 units. But for the year overall, group sales totaled 310,915 units, down 7.6 percent from 2004.

Japanese automaker Subaru posted sales of 19,919 units in December, up 3.1 percent from December 2004. For all of 2005, Subaru's sales totaled 196,002 units, up 4.6 percent from a year earlier.

Porsche said its December sales rose 6.2 percent from a year earlier to 2,861 units. For all of 2005, Porsche's U.S. sales rose 1.5 percent to 31,933 units.

The sales falloff continued at Isuzu. The Japanese automaker, partially owned by GM, sold 839 units in December, down 50.1 percent from U.S. sales in December 2004. For the full year, Isuzu's sales fell 55.2 percent to 12,177 units.

You may e-mail Dale Jewett at djewett@crain.com



U.S. car and light-truck sales, Dec. & YTD


Dec. 2005 Dec. 2004 Pct. chng. 12 mos. 2005 12 mos. 2004 Pct. chng.
BMW* 28,940 29,327 -1.3% 307,465 296,524 3.7%
Daimler-
Chrysler** 220,671 225,908 -2.3% 2,529,254 2,427,634 4.2%
Ford Motor
Co.*** 266,125 292,870 -9.1% 3,153,781 3,319,767 –5.0%
General
Motors**** 384,620 428,724 -10.3% 4,454,385 4,655,459 -4.3%
American
Honda† 132,800 137,381 -3.3% 1,462,472 1,394,398 4.9%
Hyundai
Group†† 61,788 57,256 7.9% 730,863 688,670 6.1%
Isuzu 839 1,680 -50.1% 12,177 27,188 -55.2%
Mazda 19,156 20,866 -8.2% 258,339 263,882 -2.1%
Mitsubishi 9,673 11,151 -13.3% 123,995 161,609 -23.3%
Nissan††† 91,253 92,268 -1.1% 1,076,669 985,982 9.2%
Porsche 2,861 2,695 6.2% 31,933 31,473 1.5%
Subaru 19,919 19,324 3.1% 196,002 187,402 4.6%
Suzuki 6,662 5,281 26.2% 82,101 73,946 11.0%
Toyota‡ 203,279 187,932 8.2% 2,260,296 2,060,049 9.7%
VW‡‡ 35,377 29,843 18.5% 310,915 336,422 -7.6%
Other
(estimate) 294 314 -6.4% 4,008 2,956 35.6%
TOTAL 1,484,257 1,542,820 -3.8% 16,994,655 16,913,361 0.5%
Numbers in this table are calculated by Automotive News based on actual monthly sales reported by the manufacturers and may differ from numbers reported elsewhere.

Source: Automotive News Data Center
Note: Other includes estimates for Ferrari, Lamborghini and Lotus
*Includes Mini and Rolls-Royce
**Includes Mercedes-Benz
***Includes Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo
****Includes Saab
†Includes Honda Division and Acura
††Includes Hyundai and Kia
†††Includes Nissan Division and Infiniti
‡Includes Toyota Division, Scion and Lexus
‡‡Includes VW, Audi and Bentley

Mitsubishi .... 123,995 161,609 -23.3%

Isuzu 839 1,680 -50.1% 12,177 27,188 -55.2%

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Ford Motor Co. says its Ford brand actually outsold Chevrolet in 2005. Ford will demand that Chevrolet stop advertising itself as America’s top brand, a company official said.

But General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner responded Sunday that GM will stand by sales data showing Chevrolet won the 2005 sales crown.

R.L. Polk & Co. registration data received by Ford executives Saturday morning showed that Ford had 5,000 more total registrations in 2005 than Chevrolet, spokesman Jim Cain said. Ford quickly whipped up a slide on the Polk data to include in its meeting with dealers Sunday here at the National Automobile Dealers Association convention.

Chevrolet earlier reported sales of 2,651,124 vehicles in 2005. Ford’s reported sales were 2,634,041. Chevrolet has been blanketing the airwaves with commercials touting it as America’s top brand.

Ford intends to send GM a letter this week asking that Chevrolet change the ads, Cain said.

“The lesson here is to make sure that all the facts are in your favor before you make such a bold claim,” he said. “Fair is fair.”

According to Ford, Polk data show 2.630 million total registrations in 2005 compared with 2.625 million for Chevrolet. Even when medium-duty trucks are exempted, Ford still had the most registrations, Cain said.

Polk registrations show the number of vehicles registered by retail and fleet customers. The earlier data released by the manufacturers reflect sales as reported by dealers.

A GM spokeswoman said sales data are the industry standard and that there are always discrepancies between sales and registration data. Wagoner said GM will stand by its claim based on sales data.

“All I know is the data we published and we all go by,” Wagoner said. “That’s been out a month or so. Our data is right. It’s published, public data, which has come out.”

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Ford Motor Co. says its Ford brand actually outsold Chevrolet in 2005. Ford will demand that Chevrolet stop advertising itself as America’s top brand, a company official said....

Ford intends to send GM a letter this week asking that Chevrolet change the ads, Cain said.

DETROIT -- And the winner is . . .

. . . Chevrolet, the best-selling brand in the United States for 2005.

But it wasn't cut and dried. Chevy was the winner when the automakers announced their 2005 totals on Jan. 3. It outscored the Ford brand by 17,083 units to claim the top spot for the first time since 1986.

Then R.L. Polk checked in with its 2005 registration figures. They showed that Ford was the winner by 5,572.

Each set of figures is correct, given its parameters. Automotive News is sticking with Chevrolet as the 2005 champion. Here's why.

Sales reflect cars and light trucks, and that is the industry's standard for determining the leader. Polk's registrations include all trucks - light, medium and heavy. Ford sells more than four times as many medium-duty and heavy-duty trucks - such as the Ford F-350 - as Chevrolet.

Since 1975, car and light-truck sales, as reported by the manufacturers, have been the official source of the annual totals. There is no compelling reason to change that procedure.

Dealers count a sale when it is made. Polk does not count it until the registration shows up at the state motor vehicle department and that department reports it to Polk. That may be several days after the sale, the following year in the case of a late-December sale.

In Polk's favor, every registration it reports is backed by a piece of paper (or computer entry) in a state motor vehicle office. The automakers' numbers are the sums of sales reported by dealers.

It's hoped the dealer numbers are accurate. There are penalties for cheaters.

The automakers' figures include all 50 states. Polk sometimes is unable to obtain registration lists from this or that state. In those cases, Polk goes to the manufacturer to ensure accuracy.

So most of the high cards seem to be in the automakers' hands. Except one: Accuracy depends on the honesty of the individual corporation or brand. Unfortunately, there is a huge blot on General Motors' record in that department.

In early January 1999, Cadillac reported that its dealers had sold 23,861 cars and trucks in December 1998, overcoming Lincoln's lead and winning 1998's luxury sales crown by 222 units.

The number was suspect. Cadillac hadn't sold 23,000 vehicles in a month since May 1990. But GM and Cadillac wouldn't lie about sales figures, would they? They would, and they did.

Four months later, in May 1999, Cadillac admitted that it had reported factory sales to dealers, not dealer sales to customers. Cadillac apologized to Lincoln.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The discrepancy between 2005 U.S. sales numbers and R.L. Polk registration data spurred a volley of trash talking between folks at the Ford brand and those at Chevrolet.

The spat began when Ford touted the Polk results at last week's National Automobile Dealers Association convention. Ford told its dealers that Chevrolet's claim to be the top-selling U.S. brand was bogus.

Ford spokesman Jim Cain scolded Chevrolet, saying, "The lesson here is to make sure that all the facts are in your favor before you make such a bold claim. . . . Fair is fair."

Ford demanded that Chevrolet stop advertising itself as the 2005 sales leader. Even though General Motors says sales reports are the industry standard, Cain said, Chevrolet ads have cited Polk registration data on other issues. GM, meanwhile, scoffed at Ford. In an interview at NADA, CEO Rick Wagoner said sales figures are "what we all go by."

"Our data is right," Wagoner said. "It's published, public data, which has come out."