US July auto sales fall 19% year on year

01 August 2008 21:58  [Source: ICIS news]

HOUSTON (ICIS news)--US automobile sales among some of the nation's top producers by fell 19% in July, companies said on Friday.

Automobiles are an important chemical end market, in that each has an average of $2,400 (€1,516) worth of chemistry, according to the American Chemistry Council (ACC). Automobile parts include rubber hoses, plastic dashboards, catalysts, fibres, adhesives and coatings.  

July's figures reflect a general trend of consumers abandoning trucks for more fuel-efficient cars.

Honda's Fit and Civic Hybrid models both set records in July. General Motors (GM) also reported pockets of strength among its fuel-efficient models.

To take advantage of the trend, Toyota is accelerating production of its four-cylinder models and plans to start producing its hybrid Prius in the US, said Jim Lentz, president of Toyota Motor Sales USA.

	Cars			Trucks
	2008	2007	%	2008	2007	%
Chrysler	25,839	34,680	-25	72,270	103,048	-30
Ford	57,177	53,062	8	99,229	127,309	-22
GM	105,335	119,866	-12	128,005	196,004	-35
Honda	90,943	79,804	14	47,801	61,245	-22
Toyota	128,099	139,596	-8	69,325	103,121	-33
Total	407,393	427,008	-5	416,630	590,727	-29

($1 = €0.64)

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