NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT:
Sara Panza
Greater Cleveland Automobile Dealers’ Association
440.746.1500

Weather Impacts New Vehicle Sales in January

Cleveland, OH (Feb. 6, 2018) –  New vehicle sales started off 2018 on a down note in January, with dealers across Northern Ohio selling 20,280 vehicles last month compared to 21,996 vehicles in January of 2017, a drop of 7.8 percent, according to figures released today by the Greater Cleveland Automobile Dealers’ Association (GCADA).

“The bitter cold took a bite out of sales in January across all segments,” said Louis A. Vitantonio, president of the GCADA. “We see a rebound in February as we move into the Auto Show, which brings additional incentives and provides an opportunity for consumers to shop all the brands in one location.” 

Bucking a sales trend that goes back almost two years, sales of cars, sedans and coupes actually outperformed trucks, crossovers and SUVs for the month, but were still off somewhat. Franchised new car dealers sold 10,843 new cars in January, compared with 11,367 cars in the same month a year prior, a drop of 4.61 percent. Truck sales, which buoyed the market throughout 2016 and 2017 took a hit, declining 11.21 percent for the month. Franchised new car dealers sold 9,437 new trucks, crossovers and SUVs last month, compared to 10,629 units in January of 2017.

Chevrolet dealers sold 3,243 new vehicles in the month, besting Ford’s sales of 2,960 units to retain its title of Northern Ohio’s best-selling brand. Honda came in third, selling 1,650 vehicles in the month compared to 1,564 vehicles for Toyota, which came in a close fourth.

11 Brands Up in January (‘18 v. ‘17)
The following brands posted sales increases in January of 2018 versus January of 2017: Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Audi, Buick, Chrysler, GMC, Jaguar, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Volkswagen and Volvo.

New-car and truck sales in Northern Ohio
January ’18 / January ’17 & YTD 

Retail sales figures are based on vehicle registration reports from the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles.  Vehicle sales data includes the counties of: Ashland, Ashtabula, Carroll, Columbiana, Coshocton, Cuyahoga, Erie, Geauga, Holmes, Huron, Lake, Lorain, Mahoning, Medina, Portage, Richland, Stark, Summit, Trumbull, Tuscarawas and Wayne.

About the GCADA
The Greater Cleveland Automobile Dealers' Association (GCADA) has served the retail-automobile industry and community with integrity and distinction since 1915. Today, located in Brecksville, Ohio, GCADA represents over 250 franchised motor vehicle dealers, which include new-car, truck, motorcycle and RV dealers in a 21-county region of Northern Ohio along the Lake Erie shore and beyond.  More information on the GCADA can be found at www.gcada.org. Contact us at 440-746-1500.

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