AMC USA Sales : 1970's (2nd Half)

The 1978 Concord

Years ago, I recall seeing AMC vehicles around Auckland, NZ. They weren't numerous but in a country where US brands were not selling at all, they offered something different. The other day, I noticed an AMC Javelin in the town I now live. Of course, I had Dinky cars of a Nash and Rambler models too when I was a boy.

The American Motors Corporation was founded by the merger of

Plymouth USA Sales : 1970's (2nd Half)

1977 Plymouth Volare


I recall having a couple of Plymouth Plaza taxis as dinky cars. That was all I knew of the brand. Plymouth was created in the late 1920's to give the company a low price vehicle to compete with Chevrolet and Ford. If that was the case, by the late 1970's it wasn't doing that well. It was based around the Valiant and its successor the Volare. The early 70's sales were

Mercury USA Sales : 1970's (2nd Half)

A 1977 Mercury Cougar XR-7


The brand was created in 1938 to fit above the Ford brand but below Lincoln. This followed what GM and Chrysler had already done and the Ford company felt the need to do likewise. 65,000 car were sold in 1939 which was a successful start. It became part of the Lincoln-Mercury division that was created in 1945.

By the late 70's Mercury was well established. Sales

Oldsmobile USA Sales : 1970's (2nd Half)

The Cutlass Supreme was a top selling model


I was visiting the US some years back and was kindly loaned a Cutlass Ciera by the people I was staying with. Despite that brief introduction, I know little of the Oldsmobile brand as it was exclusively a North American make. Mr Olds started making cars in 1897 and the company was purchased by GM in 1908. Over 35 million Oldsmobile cars were made

Nissan Europe's Sales Plunge

Nissan Europe's jewel in the crown, the Qashqai


The car markets of Europe are notoriously difficult to make money in. The UK is one of the more profitable, hence why car makers importing from Europe are fearful of a trade barrier. Overall it is a challenging environment that recently had GM pulling out of the region altogether and Ford is realigning its business from volume to profit driven.

Nissan Group Production : 2016-18 (Regions & Nations)

For production, there are four regions I have created to see where vehicles are made. Chinese partner Dongfeng's production is not included in the main data list but I placed it at the bottom of the chart.

Asia: It's accounts for over half of all production for the Nissan Group and China now manufactures half of that. This region will continue to contribute more volume in the future.

Nissan Group Sales : 2016-18 (Regions & Nations)

The brands under consideration here are Nissan, Infiniti, Venucia and probably Dongfeng. The latter two are Chinese brands with Venucia a subsidiary of Dongfeng and Dongfeng a 50/50 joint venture company with Nissan. Sales listed here are very close to production numbers, so if few Nissan cars are imported, then it covers all four above brands.

There are six regions below and I will briefly

Top 5 Other Segments Models UK : 2017/18

Sports: This category dropped from 1.9% to 1.6% of total sales. There was also quite a shuffling of models with only one surviving from 2017 to 2018. That was the Mazda MX-5, which became the best selling model.

SUV: They were up to 21.2%, a segment that has grown every year since 2008. Back then it was a much smaller 6.4%. The Ford Kuga knocked the Kia Sportage of the top spot and the soon

Top 5 Larger Car Models UK : 2017/18

Upper: Dropping from 9.6% to 8.1% of the market shows this segment is falling out of favour. It has been consistent for several years but 2018 saw a change in fortune. This was the 7th year the 3-Series was the best selling and the 4-Series made it a 1-2 for the brand.

Executive: This has been a consistent category in the UK regarding its share of sales. 2018 was down slightly to 4.6%.

Top 5 Smaller Car Models UK : 2017/18

Mini: Little change here, in this small segment at the bottom of the pile.

Supermini: This is the largest segment, led by the largest selling model. Again, consistent with last year.

Lower Medium: The VW Golf passed the Ford Focus for the first time, so that's something of note. The Astra dropped off altogether after decades of gracing this segment's top five. It's been replaced by the Mokka

Infiniti Euro Sales (By Model) : 2003-2019

A better car than its reception deserved. 


The premium wing of Nissan touched down in Europe for 2003. It had a battle on its hands as premium car buyers are paying that premium to get something with a reputation of quality above the mainstream car. Until a name has cachet it will sell in minuscule numbers to a few aficionados. That seems to be what has happened to Infiniti.

In 2003, there

Lancia Euro Sales (By Model) : 2000-2019

Lancia is a name historically associated with rallying, sporty and stylish cars. Despite that, they didn't sell that well outside of Italy and were taken over by Fiat in 1969. To reduce costs, Fiat based future cars on models of its own which is a common practice in the industry. Reliability and rust issues damaged their reputation and the brand has been in gradual retreat for decades.

Almost

Alfa Romeo Euro Sales (By Model) : 2000-2019

Alfa Romeo is a brand rich in history and the CEO of FCA Sergio Marchionne had drams of returning it to its former glory. Much money has been spent on achieving that. Sadly, he passed away but has it been a successful transformation? Most of the company's sales are in Europe so a critical region for AR.

Going back to the year 2000, sales were 176,000, hitting 205,000 in 2001 before settling

Jaguar i-Pace Sales 2019 (by nation - progressive)

The i-Pace is gathering pace as cars reach their customers around the world. I am unsure of the production ceiling, I have heard 20,000 pa but I'm thinking it has to be more than that. Anyway, here are some nations that are selling them and that I have data for. If anyone can add to the list, please contact me either by a comment or rdc1234@gmail.com. I would like to be a collaborative effort

The Top Two Brands In France Do Battle

Renault is the better selling brand in France and has been so earlier than I can go back. In 1980, it had 40.5% of the home market while second placed Peugeot was far away on 15.5%. Renault could not maintain such market share as competition increased and it settled into the high 20% area. More recently it came down to the 20% mark, while Peugeot was now only a few percentage points behind in

Toyota/Lexus Production By Nation : 2017-18

The data below is of production facilities around the world making Toyota and Lexus brand cars. It would have been preferable for either Lexus to be separate or Daihatsu included, but that is not how Toyota do it. The total is about 9 million units, which I have divided into five sections. We'll now look at each one.

Asia: In 2018 64% of the total was made in this region, or 5.7 million. 55%

Daihatsu Sales / Production : 2007-18

Practical vehicles are what Daihatsu do well


Daihatsu was formed in 1951 as part of a restructuring the Hatsudoki company, which itself started way back in 1907. It's headquarters are in Osaka, Japan. In 1998, Toyota took a majority stake holding and in 2016 bought the company outright.

Daihatsu made efforts to sell its cars globally, being for example the first Japanese brand to be sold in

The Times They Are A Changin'

The next few years will bring about huge change for the car industry. Some of it has already happened but it will gather pace. What are those challenges?

Re-evaluating markets:

For US brands, GM pulled out of Europe and other markets to concentrate on the Americas and China. Ford has been pulling back but to a much lesser extent, but is committed to the end of car sales and being fully reliant

Wales Passenger Car Sales : 2018

This is part of the UK but is shown separately here as there are differences to the national UK average. The top 30 data I get is for all the UK, then broken down into regions, so for example Jeep certainly isn't the 30th brand in Wales. It is though for the UK as a whole. The new arrival in the top 30 is MG.

Green highlights increased sales and yellow decrease. As the total is down 4%, there

Scotland Passenger Car Sales : 2018

This is part of the UK but is shown separately here as there are differences to the national UK average. The top 30 data I get is for all the UK, then broken down into regions, so for example smart certainly isn't the 30th brand in Scotland. It is 29th though for the UK as a whole. The new arrival in the top 30 is MG.

Green highlights increased sales and yellow decrease. As the total is down

Northern Ireland Passenger Car Sales : 2018

This is part of the UK but is shown separately here as there are differences to the national UK average. The top 30 data I get is for all the UK, then broken down into regions, so for example smart certainly isn't the 30th brand in NI. It is 29th though for the UK as a whole. The new arrival in the top 30 is MG.

Green highlights increased sales and yellow decrease. As the total is down 5%,

Land Rover Sales (By Nation) : 2017-18

None of this data comes from LR so it is collected from many sources. It's a shame manufacturers don't release this sort of thing. It could clear small issues such as is Luxembourg's figure also included in the one for Belgium? The only company I know of that does release official sales by nation is the Renault Group.

LR sales were up 2% in 2017 but down 7% in 2018. The main reason for the

Subaru Car Production : 2017/18 (April-March)

Subaru reports its sales from April to March, which is what this data is based on. Sales passed the one million mark for the second time in its history. Volume is based around three main model groups.

The 5th generation Impreza, XV and WRX that came out in 2016 is the best selling with over 400,000 units sold.

The 6th generation Legacy and Outback models came out in 2014 and 290,000 found

World Car Awards : 2019

Awards are subjective. Even those knowledgeable in any field of human endeavour can and do often disagree. However, people love them so here are the 2019 World Car Awards:


World Urban Car: Suzuki Jimny.

This award surprised me but if interior space isn't an issue, then this will be a funky town car to own and scoot around in.





World Luxury Car: Audi A7.

Audi are known for doing nice

VW Production Summary & Brand Profit : 2017-18

The production figures below covers all car brands and also includes heavy vehicle brands MAN and Scania, both of which are part of the VW Group. MAN made 138,000 units and Scania 101,000. Most of the Group's production goes to Europe and Asia. All the data below requires three zeros to be added to make sense. The only exception is '€ Per Car', which is the full number.





15
16

VW LCV Model Production : 2017-18

It pays to check the surf report before venturing out


While this is for light commercial vehicles, it also includes Kombi MPVs which are technically passenger cars. VW puts them into one category so I have. One thing I do differently is put the Saveiro pick up truck here from cars as it clearly isn't a passenger car.

The Transporter and Caddy ranges are the mainstay of the LCV division of VW

Porsche Model Production : 2017-18

Porsche is known for sports cars but sells mainly SUVs. When the Cayenne arrived in 2002, it immediately took a third of production volume its first year. The following year it was half. With the Macan, SUVs account for two in every three vehicles made. When the Panamera car is added to the SUV total, sports cars drop to less than one in four made.

Production is sitting just over the quarter

Bentley Model Production : 2017-18

The new convertible should go well


Bentley has done really well since VW took over, with sales booming and profits sound. Then the introduction of the Bentayga SUV came in 2016 and things were surely to get only better. Yet that isn't what happened. Profits have dried up and sales fallen despite the SUV's appearance.

As to why I have no idea, but recently VW issued a statement saying it was

SEAT Global Model Production : 2017-18

The new Tarraco about to make a splash


SEAT was the problem child of the VW Group, with insipid sales and running up losses to boot. However, a couple of SUVs later and its all fixed. Sales are up and profitability achieved. It was only in 2016 that SEAT started making SUVs and already in 2018, they make up 37.5% of all production.

It's a brand that is seen as sporty and youthful. Perhaps

Lamborghini Global Model Production : 2017-18

A monstrous 62% production increase is due mainly to the arrival of the Urus SUV. I'm sure it will be the largest part of the output in 2019. With the cars, as to why roadsters were up and coupés were down I have no idea. The opposite was true the previous year.





15
16
17
18
Models
2018
%
+/-

2017
%
+/-


1
1
1
1
Huracán
2,790

Škoda Global Model Production : 2017-18

Škoda has a winner in the Octavia car, which commanded over 30% of all production, despite it losing some volume. In fact, Škoda lost ground with all of its cars in 2018, but thankfully its SUV range was able to rescue things. SUVs have jumped to over a quarter of the total, both with impressive increases.





15
16
17
18
Models
2018
%
+/-

2017
%
+/-

Audi Global Model Production : 2017-18

Audi seems to have peaked at just under the 1.9 million units figure. Total production has slipped 1% over the past two years and I expect will fall at a faster rate in 2019. SUVs account for 38% of what is made, much higher than VW.

Cars still lead the way with both the A4 and A3, but the Q5 is not far off number two spot. The new electric e-tron has just arrived and it will be interesting

VW Brand Global Model Production : 2017-18

VW has exceeded 6.2 million units made over the last two years, with volume having plateaued. With about half of the brand's sales in China, what happens in that market will have a profound effect on its fortunes.

With such a broad range of models. I have combined some that are very similar, hopefully in an accurate way. The Medium Cars grouping involves the Jetta, Sagitar, Lavida, Bora and

Rolls Royce Global Model Sales : 2017-18

Regarded by many as the most prestigious marque in the car industry, sales passed the 4,000 mark in 2018, thanks to the Cullinan SUV. That is the highest in the marque's history, by a small margin, the new Phantom and Cullinan gave sales an upward thrust. With the SUV having a full year of sales in 2019 one would expect another record, although that isn't the point of course.

The Wraith is a

MINI Brand Global Model Sales : 2017-18

The MINI range has been trimmed back to four variants after some more recently introduced models had proved less than successful. The ones here now all work well which proves there is a limit to viable niches. Anyway, global sales are now consistently over the 350,000 mark with two plants at present. The UK and the Netherlands are where the factories are, unusual due to their close proximity.

BMW Group Plant Production & Regional Sales : 2017-18

BMW Group plants (including MINI and Rolls Royce) produced nearly 2,550,000 vehicles in 2018, up 1%. The BMW facilities include two in China that are joint venture. There are two contract plants and four partner plants. I'm not sure of the nature of the partner plants, why they are listed differently from the other operations. They are situated in Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia and Russia and are

BMW Brand Global Model Sales : 2017-18

The 5 Series showing off


I've got data going back decades and in that time the 3 Series has always been the largest produced model annually...until 2018. Yes, the new 7th generation 5 Series has taken over. True, the 3 Series was at the end of its production cycle but it is still a first at any rate.

Total production was up 1.8% in 2018, compared to 4.2% a year earlier. That is the lowest

L Rover Model / Regional Sales : Jan - Mar 2019

Land Rover volumes are down so far this year and any hope of sales parity with 2018 rests with the new Evoque. While it is similar in appearance with the Mark I, it is apparently a more refined and classy offering. The premium market is increasingly challenging so we will see how it fares. I'm digressing here.

Sales were down 10.7% for the year so far. The outgoing old model Evoque is part of

Jaguar Model / Regional Sales : Jan - Mar 2019

2019 will be a more trying year for car manufacturers as markets around the globe will contract. It won't necessarily be by much but enough to end a golden period of growth. Some will do better than others. How will JLR fare? Let's look at Jaguar.

Sales were flat for March and also the year to date. The F-Pace is the best selling, slightly ahead of the E-Pace. The latter was only introduced

Tata Historical Production & Sales : 2001 - 2018

The Tiago hatchback


The Tata company mainly produces commercial vehicles with passenger cars somewhat of a sideline. It has tried to crack the PC side of things (car & SUV) but stiff competition from the likes of Suzuki has been a challenge. The tiny Nano car was an example of its effort but it was a flop. Other models have fared better. However, the CV business is more of a success. High

Alfa Romeo Global Sales (Model) : 2017-18

The then FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne predicted that Alfa Romeo sales would reach 400,000 by 2018, approximately 150,000 in North America. It was hard to see how such a surge in sales could be achieved. A couple of automotive analysts came up with 220,000 and 250,000. Premium car buyers are more conservative and less likely to brand hop than mainstream buyers so the predictions looked optimistic.

Global Premium Sales (Brand) : 2017-18

The premium market has been outstripping mainstream car sales for some time. However, the signs are there that this may be coming to an end. Global sales went from +6% in 2017 to +2% in 2018. We will see if that is a lasting trend. I get a feeling that it is.

The BMW Group is the biggest premium entity with close to 2.5 million sales. Mercedes Benz was closing the gap but that didn't happen

GM North America Production (Model) : 2017-18

GM is following the local USA brand trend of abandoning car production. Light trucks are the future and they can't get back to the future quick enough.

USA: Cars still account for 24% of the total, bu that's down from 30% the year previous. Cars have drpped 28% and 22% the past two years so on the out for certain. Meanwhile, light trucks were up 1% for the comparative period. That put both

FCA North America Production (Model) : 2017-18

The Fiat Chrysler Automobiles company makes vehicles in all three of the NAFTA nations. What may be surprising is that cars are now almost non-existent. Less than 8% of the total in fact.

USA: Cars are no longer made here, although light trucks are doing just fine. Nearly 1.5 million of then rolled down production lines in 2018. That was comprised of 62% Jeep  and 38% Dodge/Ram.





USA

Ford/Lincoln NA Production (Model) : 2017-18

Ford has made no secret of its desire to end car production (the Mustang will stay) and concentrate on light trucks, or utility vehicles. The idea is there is little money in cars but there is more to the picture than that, unless you are an accountant.

Cars promote foot traffic in dealerships. Take cars away and people that may have gone to buy a car but been talked into a light truck will

Parking NZ Style

When it comes to inconveniencing other people, the Kiwi male is very good. Parking across your access to and from your house, in drive ways that others use to get to their home and garage and footpaths being blocked. All of this to save them walking a few extra metres. If you ask them to move, the reply is 'I'll only be ten minutes". If you say I can't wait that long, then they reluctantly comply

Hyundai/Kia & Mazda US/Mexico Production (Model) : 2017-18

Hyundai & Kia share factories in the US and Mexico so have been combined here. Mazda was added to the page as its too small for a dedicated article.

USA: Five models are made here and none stands out in terms of volume. Two years of -17% and -9% decreases have been experienced. While the 550,000 units sound a lot, the 1,270,000 sales in the country puts them well into net importers.

Subaru/Tesla US Production (Model) : 2017-18

Two brands that have no connection but as both are not large operations, I combined them.

USA: Production grew 22% in 2017, but came to a halt in 2018, despite the Ascent truck arriving on the scene. The Outback remains the main model. With an impressive 680,000 vehicles sold in the US in 2018, it is a net importer.





USA Production – Subaru


Model
2018
%
+/-

Honda Nth America Production (Model) : 2017-18

Honda produces vehicles in the USA, Canada and Mexico. Its premium brand Acura is only assembled in the US.

USA: Car volumes have fallen -23% and -9% the past two years. Meanwhile trucks were up +14% and +12% and now constitute 61.7% of the units manufactured. Two new models were introduced during the year and UK Civic production will be added when Honda pull out of European assembly. 1.6

Nissan/Infiniti US/Mexico Production (Model) : 2017-18

Nissan's North American assembly plants are to be found in the USA and Mexico. In both cases the numbers involved are impressive.

USA: After years of growth, the past two years have seen declines, -8% and now -10%. Cars have been the main reason but trucks too haven't been spared. The range of trucks is varied, with eve an Infiniti model. With Nissan and Infiniti sales in the US at 1,494,000,

Toyota Nth America Production (Model) : 2017-18

Only Toyota and Honda are import brands that have plants in all three of the NAFTA region countries. What is amazing is how close the total production is for each of the three countries.

USA: 1.24 million is the total, down 2% on 2017, which was down 9%. Cars were the issue in 2017 (-19%) but in 2018 there was little in it. The highlander model is closing in on a quarter of all production.

Volkswagen US/Mexico Production (Model) : 2017-18

VW assemble cars in both the USA and Mexico, but mostly south of the border. In both cases, volume was up strongly in 2017, but slipped in 2018.

USA: Just one car and one SUV are involved here. A 9% fall was due to the car dropping 37%, while the truck went up 34%. With VW selling 350,000 cars and light trucks in 2018, clearly VW import many more than they make in the US.





USA

BMW/Mercedes US Production (Model) : 2017-18

Both of these companies make some vehicles in the US. So which models do they assemble? Let's find out.

BMW: Various SUV models are all that they do, totaling about 350,000 units in 2018. In comparison, 310,000 vehicles were sold in the US. That makes it a net exporter from here. For the past two years the total has dropped slightly.





USA Production - BMW


Model
2018
%

Jaguar i-Pace Monthly Sales By Nation : 2019

People who are really into electrically motivated cars like data. Not only to do with the vehicle but also how they sell. Because of that, I'm going to run a monthly list of the i-Pace sales by country. It obviously will be accomplished without input from Jaguar as it won't be complete. If anyone can add to it, please let me know at rdc1234@gmail.com.

Until sales settle down, supply will

Boy, Do I Feel Stupid!

Toyota was the last car manufacturer to pull out of the Australian market. It did so because the scale of operation was insufficient as a sole manufacturer in the country. Its hand was forced by the decisions of two other car makers. How did Toyota Toyota president and CEO Max Yasuda feel about the closure? To quote Australia's Drive:

As Yasuda explains, the decision to close the local operation

Australian Made Sales Ford/Holden : 2000-18

Some early Holden models



Australians were not happy to lose their car manufacturing. It had traditionally been based around large cars and protected by import duty. When the duty was being phased out some smaller producers went, leaving GM Holden, Ford and Toyota left. GM did some exporting, Ford very little and Toyota a lot. 



In May, 2013 Ford announced it was ending its production. By

Taiwan Production (Brand) : 2017-18

This is a commonly used traditional gesture in Taiwan


In Asia, nurturing and protecting local industry is a very high priority. A classic case is the Taiwanese vehicle industry. 250,000 vehicles were made in 2018, with eleven brands represented, although there are seven producers. Still, that's a lot of manufacturers for a relatively small number actually made.

Kouzui Toyota: They are the

Switzerland Premium Sales Comparison : 2016-18

Switzerland is considered a stable country and its car market seems to be the same. The BMW Group hardly changed its sales volume for the past three years, with Mercedes and Audi moving around a little more. It's toward the bottom end there is more going on.

Alfa Romeo has gone past Tesla and Porsche with the others also tussling with each other. That said overall its not exactly seismic in

India Production (Brand) : 2017-18

Tata Tiago (Parking style not recommended)


Now that total vehicle production has passed 5 million, you would think that import duty would be reduced or eliminated in India, right? Er, no. Which makes me wonder why it exists other than as too often protectionism. Mind you the world - especially Asia - is rife with this very mentality. Lip service is paid to two way trade while the opposite is

DS Global Model Sales : 2018

PSA decided that creating a semi-premium brand was a smart decision and why not? The profit margins are higher for a start. The problem is brand awareness and loyalty are important in the premium arena. It takes many years to earn that reputation and the company know that.

After an initial burst of sales from the first entry - the DS3 - other models were added but then things seemed to fall

Korean Domestic Production (Brand) : 2017-18

Local total vehicle production has been dropping lately in Korea. Hyundai managed to keep things even in 2018 but all of the rest all lost out in some way. Kia (-2%) and SsangYong (-3%) were marginal losers but the others a little more so.

While that sounds negative, protection of the domestic market allows the total numbers of production to be substantial. Of course, an aggressive export

France Premium Sales Comparison : 2016-18

Total premium sales are following a predictable pattern, losing sales in 2018 after years of strong growth. It will be interesting to see if its a blip or a trend. A quarter of a million is well short of the UK's 750,000 or Germany's million p.a. Maybe that is in part due to France being a large car manufacturer but without a premium marque to call its own. Or maybe an egalitarian mentality.

Honda's UK Plant Closure

Nearly 200,000 Civics made in Europe, with sales there under 45,000 


I am apolitical but politics can and does affect our lives. Trade tension between the USA and China, China with many nations, the US with the EU, potentially the EU and the UK. All done by politicians. Of course industry, media and individuals use such events to prove their opinions right. A minimal knowledge of a subject

Jaguar i-Pace Global Sales : 2018 (By nation)

At home in town....


The sort of people who thus far have bought electric vehicles - especially Tesla - are not your typical motorist. They love all the nuances of range, charging points, technical data on how the system is working. They are very forgiving about computer glitches and look forward to patches that will sort out issues.

Many are tribal in feeling protective of their chosen brand

Peugeot Global Model Sales : 2018

Who would want to be a car executive. After establishing good sales in a country, the rug gets pulled from under you. That's what happened to Peugeot in Iran. The 405 and the 206 were going well there and then sanctions squash that. The 3008 and 5008 SUVs came to the rescue and minimised the damage of Iran and a poor year in China. Still, an 18% fall in sales isn't a good look.

Swiss / Austria JLR Comparison : 2010-18

These two nations are close in many ways. Even the number of cars sold here is similar, over the past nine years it's 311,800 to 330,600. However, the Swiss do buy more premium cars so this should favour that country. Interestingly Austria started making Jaguar cars recently, the E-Pace and i-Pace.

The data: Switzerland has bought 29,000 LRs and 9,000 Jaguar cars over this time for a toal of

Citroën Global Model Sales : 2018

Citroën came under the control of Peugeot in 1974, which reigned in the innovative but not always profitable company. Perhaps at that stage, Citroën should have moved more upmarket, but that would have affected volume and jobs. That was not something that would have gone down well, so the brand became a version of Peugeot, collaborating but also competing.

Sales peaked at just under the 1.5

Lebanon Premium Sales Comparison : 2016-18

Downtown Beirut perhaps?


Premium sales have been falling for the past three years as we see below. At least the downward trajectory is slowing (what it doesn't show is that sales were up 30% in 2015). The total each year is a round the 4,000 mark, which was 12% of the total market in 2018. Compared to NZ's 9.3%, that's quite high.

One thing I don't get is the world's obsession with German

Opel/Vauxhall Global Model Sales : 2018

When GM closed its Chevrolet brand and then sold off Opel/Vauxhall, Europe was now finished for The General. Well technically not because GM is coming back, selling e-bikes named Ariv from early to the middle of 2019. I suppose that doesn't count.

Now under the PSA umbrella, the dual named brand must prove itself to a new owner. Early signs are good, with loss turned quickly into profit.

Sweden Premium Sales Comparison : 2016-18

Wow, talk about supporting your own! In Sweden they take it to a whole new level. Half of all premium cars are Volvos, a rate consistently maintained over the past three years. Even with the total falling 6.7% in 2018, its share was protected. BMW and Mercedes are solid but unable to seriously challenge the local hero.

Audi meanwhile has been falling consistently. Further down, JLR has fallen

Serbia Car/LCV Sales : 2018

This was the best year since 2011 with a 6% increase for 2018. It's a challenge to get data for this nation of the Balkan region but finally here it is. Green shows market gain and Škoda certainly managed that, taking back the top spot with authority. Fiat too did well, but not by enough to retain its top ranking.

Yellow is increase but with a reduced slice of the pie with Toyota notably in

NZ Top 45 Models : 2018

Getting data for sales by model for NZ isn't easy. I managed to get a top 45 which includes light commercial vehicles as otherwise it would have been an even shorter list. Anyway, now for a few points of note.

Japan dominates here with 60% of the list total. Toyota in particular does well, thanks to having such a strong presence in the fleet market. The USA is next, thanks to both Ford and GM

Netherlands Premium Sales Comparison : 2016-18

The total in premium sales has held up here well, assisted by electric cars that for now are more likely to be in this class. With a change in assistance offered, 2019 should see Tesla and Jaguar drop off significantly. BMW is miles ahead, aided by the fact that the MINI is also made here. Volvo got past Audi and quite easily while Tesla and Jaguar made hay while the sun shone.

South Africa Top 50 Models : 2018

If we ignore the strong selling pick-up trucks and stick to cars, then VW comes out one and two. They are both the same model, but the Vivo is an older version. Both are amazingly popular. Then moving down the rest of the list, it is quite a mixture. The colours represent country or region of origin, and by looking at the key to the right of the chart, it becomes clearer.

Japan is the leading

European Sales By Nation : 2018 (Alternative Fuels)

The move toward alternative fueled vehicles can be confusing. There are various types and each has its own acronym to differentiate it form other versions. I've put them into two categories which are below, to see how European nations are faring in encouraging people to switch to such vehicles.

Only nations that report the data to AREA are here. I won't comment on how some countries are

Europe Passenger Car Sales (By Nation) : 2018

Registrations within what is traditionally known as Western Europe were 14.2 million, down 1%. Eastern Europe was 3.3 million, up 10%. Combined it was a +1% increase. The list below is comprises more nations that ACEA provide with their press release, however that organisation does provide most of the sales figures here.

I have added countries, which in some cases has data that includes LCVs.

Moldova Passenger Car Sales : 2018

Registrations were up a healthy 14% in 2018, and the best sales year for a decade. Next door neighbour Romania provides the top selling brand, with one not too far to the north the second best selling. Green shows which brand was up, yellow as well but with a reduced market share and blue was simply down.

 The two models that were most sought after were the Dacia Logan (416) and Duster (346).

Russia Top 50 Models : 2018 (PC & LCV)

With the Kia Rio bumped off the top spot and down to third place, two models from local hero Lada took pride of place as one-two. That said, 12 of the Top 50 are from Hyundai - Kia. Japanese companies take 14 places with no less than six different brands. Ligth Commercials are also included, so a few of them can be found on the list below.

The Lada Vesta had a 40% jump in sales, well above

Europe Passenger Car Sales : 2018

Car sales for Europe (excluding Russia & CIS) were flat for the year. After a few years of reasonable growth, it seems that decreasing is sales is on the cards for 2019. Registrations were just over 15.4 million as we can see on the chart. Green is up and blue down.

Many of the top ten ranked brands didn't do that well, with top selling premium marques if anything leading the way. Just

France / Italy JLR Comparison : 2010-18

These two nations are quite close both in size and geographically. Italy has averaged 1.75 million sales over the past nine years, while France have just exceeded 2 million. So which nation prefers JLR products?

The data: Both nations have some Land Rovers registered as commercial vehicles so are not included here. As the numbers aren't excessively different, that cancels each other out on

UK Top 50 Models : 2018

Sales were down in the UK so it stands to reason that many of the models also fell. The Ford Fiesta did manage to hold up well and cemented its top ranking. Ford got three in the top nine models, a result it has been achieving for many decades.

Vauxhall was listed as a US brand but with its purchase by PSA and the fact the name is British had me switching it to a European brand. The Opel

Kazakhstan Vehicle Passenger Car Sales : 2018

There have been some boom times here followed by a large crash. The country's car sales are currently coming out of the latter. How were things for 2018? Below are all vehicle sales, including trucks. Green healthy growth, yellow less so and blue decrease.

The ups and downs here are hard to believe. Lada has won back its top spot, lost for two years. Toyota grew well but not enough it seems.

Poland Passenger Car Sales : 2018

The writing says if you park like this, you're lucky 
not to get towed away. They look relieved

Poland had a healthy 9.3% increase, although things slowed toward the end of the year. A minus 5.5% was the result for December. Below in the chart, green shows growth in market share, yellow increase but loss of said share and blue was sales decrease. Registrations were the best for many a year. In

UK Premium Sales Comparison : 2016-18

The UK is a happy hunting ground for German car manufacturers. perhaps excessively so. Even Audi's heavy sales drop in 2018 didn't allow JLR to get within a bulls roar of them. Or course, Land Rover in particular have been blighted by an almost total reliance on diesel engines, which are are increasingly vilified. In that, I was surprised that LR sales held up as well as they did.

A trend in

Germany / Russia JLR Comparison : 2010-18

Not so long back, Russia was touted to become the largest car market in Europe by volume but things didn't pan out that way. Sales tumbled and JLR wasn't immune as we can see below. From 2010 to 2018, an average of 2.1 million cars and LCVs were sold, compared to Germany's 3.2 million passenger cars. In addition, some Land Rovers are sold as LCVS which aren't counted although not a huge number

Brazil Premium Sales Comparison : 2016-18

There are some interesting facts to be gleaned. One is there aren't that many premium brands sold here, neither is the demand for premium cars that high. Audi has been having a poor run, almost overtaken by JLR. That assembling Land Rover vehicles in Brazil seems to have done nothing to boost sales. Jaguar has had a fine run from obscurity but it will be interesting if it can continue the

Mauitius Passenger Car Sales : 2018

The picture has nothing to do with cars, but who cares? It looks great


The statistics here is for passenger cars only. It's not easy to interpret the data because of how it is made available but it is private cars and SUVs. The number reached this year was 8,328, a smidgen over 2017 and a record. In fact the total this year nearly double 2010.

Kia held on to top easily enough but Hyundai had

Lebanon Passenger Car Sales : 2018

Downtown Beirut maybe?


Total sales were down 11.3% for the full year and -31.0% for December. I have colour coded the list to see how brands have gone. Blue means loss of sales and market share. Yellow sales are down but at least they gained some share, Green is all the brands that managed to increase sales.

Kia and Hyundai are the top two but conceded ground to the chasers. Suzuki and

Japan Kei Models : 2018

Kei cars mean light automobile, a category created in 1949. By meeting certain criteria, the owner gets tax, insurance and in some cases parking benefits. They are mainly sold in Japan and only Japanese brands compete in the segment. In 2018, nearly 1.5 million were sold in Japan so the Kei car remains popular today.

In the chart, blue is down and green is up. Total sales were up 2.5% in 2018

Bosnia-Herzegovina Passenger Car Sales : 2018

Sales were slowing as the year came to a close but ended up at +1.1% for the year. That's a trend across Europe but this is a mild reaction compared to most as new emissions standards kick in. In the chart below green shows increase and blue decrease.

Škoda and VW now command over a third of the total registrations, with the former pulling away from its owner brand. Mind you it has been the

Australia Premium Sales Comparison : 2016-18

Sales of premium cars have been in steady decline recently, 113,000 then 104,500 and now 97,000. There isn't much movement on rankings but some are doing better than others. Mercedes numbers are a little iffy, trying to separate them from CVs but I think it's about right. Land Rover had a poor 2018 as did Porsche. Tesla figures could be anywhere but one source had these numbers.

USA / China JLR Comparison : 2010-18

Two very different markets despite being similar in size. Over the past nine years, the USA has averaged 15.6 million sales and China 18.2 million. The US started out in this period as the bigger market for JLR but China took over. However, a sales slump in China for 2018 has the US back as the bigger market for JLR.

The data:

The USA has seen solid growth over the time with the split

Nissan Flexes Its Muscles

The X-Trail isn't exactly flavour of the month in Europe anyway

It amazes me the shallowness of most journalists covering the car industry. They swallow the spin they are fed without doing any digging for the real story. In some cases, the spin suits their opinion so they promote it fully knowing it is misleading. Thankfully there are still some journalists that live up to that designation and

UK Production : Brand Net Contribution 2017-18

Below is a chart that shows UK production by manufacturer. It then has UK passenger car sales. Finally exports in excess of sales. In other words, subtracting UK sales from production gives the export number. Then at the bottom it shows whether the UK is a net exporter or importer of passenger cars. The figures represent thousands so three zeros need to be added.





2017
Prod
UK

Pan-European Top 10 Models : 2017-18

The Top 10 had two brand new entries in 2018, the Toyota Yaris and the Renault / Dacia Sandero. The Škoda Octavia and Opel /Vauxhall Astra made way for them. The VW Golf and Renault Clio both completed their 23rd year in this illustrious company over the past 23 years that I have been tabulating it. The difference is the Golf has been number one on 17 occasions while the Clio's best ranking

Japan / Korea JLR Comparison : 2010-18

Can we learn anything from this comparison. Absolutely. They are in close proximity but there are clearly differences in mentality. Korea has import duty applied to vehicles entering the country, Japan does not. Sales in Japan are three times the number. So JLR has a much easier time in Japan. Er...not so fast.

The data:

This covers the past  the past nine years, so the 1.4 million figure

Finland Top 50 Models : 2018

The super-popular Nissan Qashqai took the top spot in Finland for 2018, deposing Škoda's Octavia in the process. The Toyota Yaris was third, from the VW Golf and Toyota Auris. German models are the most common on the Top 50 chart, pipping the rest of Europe.





Rk
Brand
Model
2018
2017
+/-

Germany


1
Nissan
Qashqai
5,540
5,059
10%

17

Belgium Premium Sales Comparison : 2016-18

The first thing that struck me about this list was the consistency of the data. True, Audi was overtaken by Mercedes in 2016, which cannot be seen here. The gap has now widened too. JLR has been moving up nicely but nothing spectacular and certainly nothing to catch up to. Maybe Alfa Romeo will pass Porsche in 2019. Otherwise, it will be business as usual in this car loving nation.

UK Production 2018 Analysis

Can UK car manufacturing get itself out of the woods? Not soon anyway

A few years ago some (remaining nameless) felt the sky was the limit for UK vehicle manufacturing. I wasn't so optimistic. CV production was ridiculously poor with no obvious way of fixing that. Nissan was the main producer and it was running at capacity. JLR was growing fast but needed more UK capacity to increase the

Slovakia Top 50 Models : 2018

This is the country with the highest car manufacturing volume per capita. Škoda in particular does well with both Hyundai and Kia getting models high up the chart. Suzuki scores the top two models for Japanese brands and Ford Focus is the sole representative for the USA.





Rk
Brand
Model
2018
2017
+/-

Europe


1
Škoda
Fabia
5,433
5,308
2%

San Marino Passenger Car Sales : 2018

A nation that is a tiny enclave within Italy slips below the radar for most people but they do release sales data so it has its moment of fame on this website. I do find it concerning that 23 sales (1.8% of the total) is not revealed to the public. Mind you, in 2010 it was 12% so maybe I should count my blessings.

VW is number one for the 5th consecutive year with Audi slipping away. Jeep is

Poland Top 50 Models : 2018

Škoda sells well here and that shows on the list below. Toyota too is a popular brand and those models too feature often. Europe is clearly the main provider of the best selling cars but Japan too does OK.





Rk
Brand
Model
2018
2017
+/-

Europe


1
Škoda
Octavia
21,125
18,856
12%

19 models


2
Škoda
Fabia
19,679
19,047

China Top 50 Models : 2018 (Locally made)

If you can get a grasp of the Chinese market, you're doing better than me. It is a bewildering array of choice for the Chinese car buyer. Do people really need so many to choose from? In such a situation, I just focus on a few things and if something from that short list is appealing, the search stops there.

The Wuling Hongguang (a catchy name...not) got knocked off its perch by the Nissan

NZ Premium Sales Comparison : 2016-18

Like many other places, premium car sales in NZ are stalling. Is it a trend or a blip? We will see. What we can tell is that BMW Group passed Mercedes Benz in 2017 and just held of MB in 2018. Otherwise it was a steady ship, with a few changes at the bottom end. BMW is actually the third best selling marque but MINI kept them above the others.





Years
Brand
2018

2017

Italy Top 50 Models : 2018

One angry Panda, the Panda Cross


No surprise that Fiat has some of the top selling models but that is not as pronounced because Fiat's share of the market is lessening. It would be to improve margins one would have to conclude. One has to wonder how much longer the sole Lancia model, in the only market it is now sold will continue.

Jeep is doing really well and Ford is always strong here, so

Romania Passenger Car Sales : 2018

The data comes from a reputable source but differs by some margin from another equally trusted source. There must be a difference in what they count as passenger cars. As the DRPCIV are much faster at putting the data out, they got the nod. The other source is as slow as a wet weekend.

Sales were up 12% in December and 23% in 2018 as a whole. However, during the year the new fuel

Italy Premium Sales Comparison : 2016-18

When you look at premium sales here, it's the German big three that are the main suppliers of cars. Even local brand Alfa Romeo isn't that prominent although it obviously gets some support for being so.

There has been a tapering off of premium sales, with 2018 -4.9%. All were down except Jaguar and Volvo. The only ranking movement over the past three years was Audi passing Mercedes Benz in

NZ Electric (Model) Sales : 2016-18

New Zealand is mainly a green country, but that is because of rainfall. Most of its power is hydroelectric so that is 'green'. How about fossil fuel? Searching for oil deposits is no longer allowed but as the country is heavily dependent on such fossil fuel, it is imported from countries that do allow oil exploration and any risks associated with their exploration is someone else's problem.

China Passenger Car Sales : 2018 (Locally made)

Geely Emgrand Boyue was the 12th best selling model


I'm not enamoured to the Chinese car market. The data doesn't include imported cars (denial doesn't make them go away) and their inclusion would swell some brands figures while adding marques not manufacturing in China to the list below.

Sales for these locally made cars were down 4.3% in 2018, perhaps the start of tougher times ahead,

Canada Premium Sales Comparison : 2016-18

This segment have been growing nicely for the past few years. 7.4%, 9.7% and 5.4% increases are very strong. That's much better than the market as a whole. Mercedes Benz is the best selling although BMW/MINI isn't far behind. Acura has maintained sales numbers but that has seen its share drop from 9% to 7.8% in two years.

It gets more interesting further down. Tesla suddenly kicked into life

Hyundai & Kia Plant Sales : 2018 (By country)

So where do Hyundai and Kia make their cars? Mostly in their plants but occasionally they make cars for each other too. Both rely heavily on domestic output but have been moving away from that.

Hyundai: A third of cars are still made at home, although it dropped below half in 2009. There is plenty of capacity at home so that will constrain new plants overseas. China is second but slowing as

Portugal Top 50 Models : 2018

Europe is heavily favoured here, with French models in particular being large sellers. They took seven of the first nine places. The Clio is so far ahead of the rest, it's baffling as to why. Only one Japanese model got into the top ten, the Qashqai moving into second place. VW had a poor year, the Golf down 49%. The only two Korean representatives were well down on 46th and 50th.





Rk

Dacia Brand Global Model Sales : 2018

Just over 300,000 Dacia vehicles were sold in 2009, now it has reached 700,000! Not bad for a brand that started out in 1968 making the Renault 8 under licence. Bear in mind too that Dacia cars are sometimes sold with a Renault logo attached (so not counted here), adding to proof of their appeal. Who would have thought that a low cost brand would sell so well in Europe. Dacia is also

Hyundai Brand Global Model Sales : 2018

Hyundai had a 2.2% increase in plant sales in 2018, after a disappointing 2017. The Tucson (ix35) lead the way for a second consecutive year, pulling further ahead from the Avante (Elantra). The newish Kona is now in full stride and selling well. The move toward SUV/Crossovers is obvious.

Some unusual names appear on the list. The Mistra is a mid-sized sedan for the Chinese market. The Reina

South Africa Passenger Car Sales : 2018

Total sales were about the same in 2018 than 2017 so on the surface it seemed uneventful. Looking on the list and it was anything but. It was the first full year without GM and Ford sales were well down. Mercedes Benz and Audi were in the same boat as Ford. Renault, Nissan and Suzuki were going the other way, up with much gusto.

If light trucks are added, then Toyota wins hands down but as

Thai Vehicle Sales : 2018

Total vehicle sales (including commercial) were up 19.7% in 2018 so things are going OK. OK if you make vehicles there, otherwise it is very difficult with import tariffs designed to protect its manufacturing industry. The problem is it doesn't need protecting anymore but in a style that is not uncommon in Asia, it's kept up anyway. That's because bilateral trade isn't the objective.

Korea Premium Sales Comparison : 2016-18

Unlike Japan, things in Korea bounce around a lot more. Mercedes has pushed to the top, with home town hero Genesis currently second. BMW had a problem with engines catching fire and they may have hurt them as that sort of thing doesn't go down well. Audi had the dieselgate issue and has been affected adversely by that, hence the collapse in 2017.

Both JLR and Lexus have a strong presence in

Kia Brand Global Model Sales : 2018

After three years of reduced plant sales, finally an increase, albeit a slight one. The Sportage model is by far the most popular and was the main difference compared to 2017 with an addition 41,000 made in 2018. Kia's total numbers were up just 17,500, enough for a 0.7% gain.

Does anyone know what the Pegas is? It also goes by the name Soluto and is a small city car made by the Chinese joint

Renault Group Global Model Sales : 2018

This list is of models that bear the names Renault, Dacia and Samsung. Often model cross over so the the logos are ignored and it's just the models that are ranked. So a model such as the Sandero that is sold as either a Renault or Dacia is combined. The total shows a 3% drop in volume. Dacia was up, but the other two down.






17
18
Model
2018
Share
+/-



1

Japan Premium Sales Comparison : 2016-18

The list below has an orderliness about it. Nothing changed places! Well, if BMW wasn't partnered with MINI there would have been. The MINI is so popular that it nearly outsold Audi. Unlike the rest of the market, imported brands do well with little local opposition (Lexus) and that coming in third.

The figures next to total figures show increase, but the ones associated with models are

Lada Global Model Sales : 2018

Lada was a company in need of restructuring. recent owners Renault embarked on an unpopular - but necessary - cost cutting exercise that has left the company leaner. Sales too have been falling but they are now on a comeback as new and improved models hit the showrooms.

Below we can see volume was up a healthy 19% in 2018, helped also by a rebounding domestic market. That will slow this year

Singapore Passenger Car Sales : 2018

Sales for 2018 were -13% and -34% in December. However, comparing years and months is somewhat academic. The reason is due to the COE system or certificate of entitlement arrangment. The government only issues so many and they are bid for by those desirous of buying a new car. The amount of certificates available depends mainly on how many cars were scrapped or taken off the road. It's all

Germany Premium Sales Comparison : 2016-18

One million premium cars were registered in Germany in 2018, not far removed from the previous two years. The big three local brands are far ahead of the others numerically. Of the others, Land Rover took a hit and is now below the 2% mark. Lexus cannot better 0.3% share.

The figures next to total figures show increase or decrease, but the ones associated with models are market share. So

Liechtenstein Passenger Car Sales : 2018

With registrations down nearly 9%, here is another European market not that flash. However, the vehicles sold here are generally quite expensive so the principality is doing OK despite the drop in sales (175 units in total).

The top four German marques remained at the top, with BMW just getting the better of Audi. Ford Land Rover and Volvo were all well up but Opel not so healthy. Still, in a

Renault Group Top 50 Nations Sales : 2018

It's nice to be able to get official figures from the manufacturer by country. No other company does this to my knowledge, which is meritorious to say the least. Having said that, the lack of transparency by everyone else in the industry I find baffling.

Group sales were up 3% for the year. That includes, Renault, Dacia, Lada, Samsung and for 2018 (I'm assuming) the joint venture with

USA Premium Sales Comparison : 2016-18

I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay...


Premium sales have been consistent in the US for the past few years, with tiny incremental gains. Total sales were 2,239,941 in 2018, +2.4%. BMW took the top spot from Mercedes which I'm sure pleased them. Lexus has been slowly losing out for some years now and while still a very successful marque, not as much as it was. It hasn't chased every conceivable

Greece Top 50 Models : 2018

Small cars are king in Greece, with the Qashqai being the first of the 'larger' models. Sales were up overall so most models were also as you would expect. Japanese brands do better here, with Toyota having the best selling model and by some margin.





Rk
Brand
Model
2018
2017
+/-

Europe


1
Toyota
Yaris
6,543
5,508
19%

18 models

Slovakia Passenger Car Sales : 2018

Registrations here were +2.1% for the year but -25.7% for December. The drop in December has been common across Europe. When it will come back will be interesting. Below the % column is market share and the +/- is sales compared with 2017 year. Below green shows increase.

Škoda leads here and held its market share, while VW fared worse. Suzuki fell three places down the rankings and Toyota

Renault Brand Global Model Sales : 2018

The total was down 5%, but with no new models having come through, not surprising. This data is for models sold under the Renault logo, regardless of the model. Green shows increase and yellow decrease.

The Clio is the strongest selling, which is hardly surprising. The Mégane seems to include the Scénic model. The ups and down are spread across the range, with new up and coming models and

Slovenia Top 50 Models : 2018

We've all done it. Sleepless nights agonising over what car models sell best in Slovenia. Where do you go to find out? Well, peaceful sleep is coming your way. Here is the data you have craved. All nicely provided by the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce. Others could learn from them.

The Clio is made here so is a popular model. Some of the sales movements are drastic, not uncommon with smaller

Turkey Top 50 Models : 2018

The locally made Fiat Tipo (Egea name used for Turkey) is the best selling model. Down 23%, it looks bleak until one notices the rest of the models which are usually worse off. Times are tough right now for new car dealerships I'd imagine. There are surprisingly (to me at least) quite a few premium German models in the Top 50.





Rk
Brand
Model
2018
2017
+/-

Europe

Czech Rep Top 50 Models : 2018

Škoda took six of the top seven places here, so loyalty to the domestic brand is undeniable. Hyundai and Kia both have plants in the region and are likewise well supported. The Euro designed and built Qashqai does a commendable job fro Nissan but Japanese makes aren't that successful here.





Rk
Brand
Model
2018
2017
+/-

Europe


1
Škoda
Octavia

Austria Top 50 Models : 2018

The Opel Crossland over doubled its sales


Austria is strongly favouring European models, VW in particular. Škoda and SEAT also score highly. Japanese models are conspicuous by their absence. The Golf was well ahead in 2017 but has had some of that lead trimmed back.





Rk
Brand
Model
2018
2017
+/-

Europe


1
VW
Golf
12,352
16,932
-27%

20

Malaysia Passenger Car Sales : 2018

The government stopped charging VAT (GST) sales tax for three months June to August. As most cars sold here are locally assembled, it was to stimulate production. However, the upsurge in demand caught manufacturers off guard and it didn't fully achieve its goal. That said, I question the value of such moves anyway.

So the effect was that while car sales are up 3.6% for the year, they were 0%

France Passenger Car Sales : 2018

Registrations were +3.0% for the full year but -14.5% for December. Clearly, the new fuel consumption and emissions (WLTP) regulations had an effect but how long that will last is uncertain. Below the % column is market share and the +/- compared to 2017. Green shows which brands went up and blue if they went down.

Renault seems to be getting slowly reeled in by Peugeot, with little now

Canada PC/LT Sales : 2018

Canada has a very stable car market, with few surprises. December was down about 8%, with total sales  +2.0%. Few of the top ten did well but generally the big brands don't move around the rankings much. The exception here was Dodge, with a 31% fall. Tesla did well but as with the US, sources vary considerably. The bottom four marque's are also estimated.

Below the % column is market share

Mexico Passenger Car Sales : 2018

The Mexican market experienced a small 10.7% drop in September and was down 7.2% YTD. Nissan is the big brand but is slowly losing share, presumably in the interest of better profit margins. GM and VW may be of the same mind, which has given those below a chance to make ground on them.

Below the % column is market share and the +/- is registrations up and down against 2017. Below green shows

Colombia Passenger Car Sales : 2018

I decided to count sales differently for Colombia. Rather than have total vehicles - the easiest way - I made it just for cars and SUVs. Pick ups and taxis were excluded, although I had mixed feelings about that. Sales were up 7% for the year.

Renault and GM have 40% of the total sales but sustaining that could be a challenge. Ford and Hyundai have struggled this year but VW, Toyota and

Uruguay Passenger Car Sales : 2018

A leafy street scene in Montevideo?

Sales are down here 20% after a similar sort of increase just 12 months ago. It seems to be due to a downturn in the economy, which is not uncommon for this area of the world. VW retained top spot but is under pressure from Renault. Chevrolet dropped from 2nd to 5th after spending much of the 21st century as the biggest selling brand. There have been three

Greece Passenger Car Sales : 2018

Sales up 20.4% YTD, despite a fall of 17.4% for the year but down 1.1% in December. Overall a good result but December was poor and perhaps a sign of what to expect in 2019. Total sales passed 100,000 for the first time since 2010 which was promising but still well short of the best years.

Some brands have managed to lose sales despite the increases. Mazda has pulled out for the second time

Cyprus Passenger Car Sales : 2018

The data is all passenger cars, including taxis and the like. Sales here were the same for this year compared to the previous 12 months. Toyota took the lead in 2017 and held it again. Kia has ideas of the top spot and did close the gap. However, below the top two, it hasn't been a good year, with most suffering falls. Land Rover is doing well, entering into the top 10. That said, premium

Norway Top 40 Models : 2018

This list is electric. No, really. It's all about electric or hybrids and any that aren't offering either will be increasingly pushed down the rankings. The new leaf has turned over a new leaf with a leap up in sales. Another model leaping ahead was the Jaguar i-Pace, which was only on sale for the latter part of the year. It will be interesting to see what a whole year on the market and new

Russia Car/LCV Sales : 2018

Sales were up 5.6% in December and 12.8% for the year. In January of 2019, a tax increase is expected so sales may be affected. The recent sales boom may be cut back also by political issues too. Below the % column is market share and the +/- is a shift in ales up or down. Green shows market share gain, yellow also means sales up but a drop in share. Blue is down in sales.

Lada is top and

Japan Top 50 Models : 2018

It is rather similar in colour, isn't it? Unsurprisingly, it is a market dominated by one source, local models. Further down, a few interlopers have managed to elbow their way in but overall not with much success. The MINI is all models which is probably not how it should be but that's how it is given.

Nissan did well to take top spot off dominant Toyota. Some of the names sound unusual. This

Argentina Top 50 Models : 2018

I got a list together of car sales in Argentina by model, which shows the best selling cars are from Europe. Asia isn't prominent and nothing here from Korea at all in the top 50. No single model has a lead on the rest, with a Toyota ahead of a group of European contenders. As you can see above, the Prisma is an Onyx with a boot rather than a hatch.





Rk
Brand
Model
2018

Denmark Top 50 Models : 2018

With the tax on cars here so very high, smaller ones predominate. German brands are popular, especially VW. However, the Up! went down with a thud. Nissan can only get one car on the top 50 but somehow manages to get it to number two. That doesn't happen normally. There are few Korean models here, all having a poor year too.





Rk
Brand
Model
2018
2017
+/-

Germany

Canada Top 50 Models : 2018

Japanese models are stronger here than the US, as are German ones. The US models are the ones that yielded places. It's not a huge difference but something of note. The F-Series is top here too, beating the RAM into second places in both markets.





Rk
Brand / Model
2018
2017
+/-

Japan


1
Ford F-Series
145,694
155,290
-6%

21 models


2

Brazil Top 50 Models : 2018

When it comes to the best selling model, there is one that is streets ahead (pun intended) of the others. That is the Chevrolet Onyx. The list is somewhat different from other countries where models are broken down into body shapes (I wouldn't have thought that was pc today). Hatchbacks and sedans are separate.

As to the origins of models, they are well spread without a nation or region

Land Rover Global Model Sales : 2018

Sales were -7% for 2018, with challenges aplenty. Virtually all Land Rovers sold in Europe are powered by diesel engines so slumping sales in that area affected LR more than any other car maker. China has seen a downturn and rather than offer incentives to maintain volume, registrations slumped.

Models: The popular Evoque will soon be replaced. The first was revolutionary in style, yet

Korea Top 40 Models : 2018

Korea has a protected market despite a successful car industry. That gives local manufacturers a foundation to build its industry on. Hyundai and Kia lead the way and have the top ten models in the domestic market. The first import comes in at #18, the Mercedes E-Class. The top European models are the MINI Hatch and Land Rover Discovery Sport, neither of which made the list at just over 4,000