Toyota (TM) Passes Ford (F) On Its Way Down

The only thing surprising about Toyota’s (NYSE:TM) January sales results is that they were not worse. Its recalls will probably catch all the way up with them in February.

Toyota’s unit sales for last month fell 15.8% to 98,7986. The only bright spot was that the sales of  the hybrid Prius were up 13%.

Ford’s sold 116,534 vehicles, up 26% from the same period a year ago. There were 24 sales days last month, two fewer than in January 2009. Sales of the Fusion were up 49%, which makes it the firm’s hottest selling car since the original Mustang. Ford fleet sales rose 154%, but that is not cheating; it is just good luckGM sales rose 13.6%. Sales of the company’s core brands, those it has not closed or sold, include Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, and GMC improved more–up 41%.

Chrysler, still barely standing at the mortuary door, suffered an 8% drop in sales to 57,143. According to The Detroit Free Press, “CEO Sergio Marchionne said Chrysler must sell 1.1 million vehicles in the U.S. this year and 1.65 million worldwide to break even.” Almost an admission of defeat in an of itself.;

Douglas A. McIntyre