USA - Ford announces sales for year end and December, Still the #1 brand

• Ford brand 2013 retail sales up 14 percent, with cars up 12 percent, utilities up 13 percent, trucks up 17 percent; Ford is best-selling brand for fourth consecutive year
• Ford Motor Company total December sales up 2 percent, with retail sales up 3 percent for best December since 2005
• Ford Fusion sales up 27 percent for a record December; both Ford Fusion and Ford Fiesta hit annual sales records in 2013
•  Ford Escape sales up 22 percent, helping the vehicle to an annual sales record in 2013
•  Ford F-Series tops 70,000 sales following eight straight months of sales above 60,000 vehicles; F-Series now best-selling truck for 37 years and best-selling vehicle for 32 years

Ford reigns as America’s best-selling vehicle brand in 2013 for a fourth consecutive year, with annual sales records set for Ford Fiesta, Fusion and Escape, and F-Series continuing as the country’s best-selling truck and vehicle for another straight year.

Ford Motor Company 2013 U.S. sales totaled 2,493,918 vehicles. For December, total sales are 218,058 vehicles up 2 percent – with retail up 3 percent.

Ford brand U.S. retail sales are up 14 percent for the year. Overall, the Ford brand closes out 2013 with 2,412,224 vehicles sold. Ford produced double-digit annual retail gains across its lineup – cars up 12, utilities up 13 percent, and trucks are up 17 percent – with higher average transaction prices. Retail sales gains for the Ford brand are strongest in the West, where sales are up 21 percent, and the Southeast, with sales up 17 percent for the year.

“December was a strong close to an even better year for Ford Motor Company,” said John Felice, Ford vice president, U.S. Marketing, Sales and Service. “We saw strong growth across the entire Ford lineup and made significant gains in the import-dominated coastal markets.

“Strong demand for our new cars, utilities, hybrids and trucks provided Ford with the largest share point gain of any full-line automaker in 2013,” Felice continued.

Ford Fusion December performance is up 27 percent with 24,408 sales, setting a record for the month. Fusion sales of 295,280 vehicles in 2013 represent a 22 percent increase, setting an annual record.

Fusion continues to be a significant driver to the company’s growth in the U.S. western and southeastern regions, where retail sales are up 61 percent and 29 percent, respectively in 2013.

Ford Fiesta sales of 71,073 vehicles for the year mark a record, as well – and up 25 percent over 2012.

Ford Escape sales are up 22 percent for the month, with 24,462 vehicles sold. For the year, Escape sales of 295,993 vehicles represent a 13 percent gain, setting an annual record.

December sales of 74,592 Ford F-Series vehicles extend the truck’s string of selling more than 60,000 units a month to eight. Sales of 763,402 F-Series vehicles in 2013 represent the truck’s highest level since 2006. F-Series remains America’s best-selling truck for 37 straight years and the country’s best-selling vehicle for 32 consecutive years.

Lincoln MKZ December sales increase 73 percent, with 2,823 cars sold, providing the Lincoln brand with an overall increase of 8 percent.

USA - Toyota has brilliant October, with increased sales.

All-new Tundra up almost 23 percent; All-new Avalon posts triple-digit gains for eighth month in a row

Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., today reported October 2013 sales results of 168,976 units, an increase of 4.8 percent over October 2012 on a daily selling rate (DSR) basis. On a raw-volume basis, unadjusted for 27 selling days in October 2013 versus 26 selling days in October 2012, TMS sales increased 8.8 percent from the year-ago month.

Toyota Division posted October 2013 sales of 146,257 units, up 4 percent year-over-year on a DSR basis.   Volume-wise, Toyota division sales increased 8 percent over October 2012.

“Consumers showed resiliency in October with steady auto sales despite headwinds caused by the government shutdown,” said Bill Fay, Toyota division group vice president and general manager.  “The growth in the auto industry continues to play a leading role in the economic recovery, and Toyota is on track for a strong close to the year.”

Lexus reported October sales of 22,719 units, a 10.2 percent increase on a DSR basis and a 14.5 percent increase on a raw volume basis, both year-over-year.

"Industry growth is being driven by new products, and we have two of the hottest new models on the market today - the new IS and GX SUV," said Jeff Bracken, Lexus group vice president and general manager.  "And as we move into November and December, traditionally two excellent months for Lexus, we're poised to close out the year with strong sales."

Other Highlights:

• All-new Corolla posts sales of 23,637 units
• All-new Avalon posts triple-digit gains for eighth month in a row
• Camry posts sales of almost 30,000 units
• TMS hybrids retain more than half of the market with sales of nearly 23,800 units
• Prius family records sales of 15,623 units
• All-new RAV4 increases 60.8 percent with a best-ever October
• Sienna up 10.1 percent with sales of more than 8,500 units
• Toyota division pickups post sales of more than 22,000 units
• All-new Tundra up almost 23 percent
• All-new Lexus IS up more than 68 percent
• Lexus LS up more than 26 percent
• Lexus ES is volume car leader with sales of nearly 6,000 units
• Lexus RX up more than 15 percent with sales of almost 8,000 units

*Note:  Unless otherwise stated, all figures reflect unadjusted raw sales volume

Tesla's Model S becomes NORWAY's best selling car in September

Tesla Motor's all-electric Model S became the top-selling car in Norway last month, with drivers also paying a premium to buy the sports car second-hand to avoid having to wait five months for a new one, dealers said.

The high performance Tesla S had a market share of 5.1 percent in Norway last month, accounting for 616 of the 12,168 new cars sold and pushing the conventionally-powered Volkswagen Golf into second place with a 4.6 percent share, according to official figures.

"There has been an enormous demand for this car and it doesn't seem to stop. We have a lot of customers on the waiting list right now," said Joar Tenfjord, the head of Tesla's dealership in Bergen, Norway's second largest city.

Electric cars have been especially popular in Norway because of generous subsidies, free parking, government-provided re-charging stations, the right to use express lanes on highways and exemptions from tolls.

"You get great value for your money with the Model S in Norway," Tenfjord said. "It is a spacious car and it is also environmentally friendly."

A new Tesla Model S costs $110,000-$117,000 in Norway's notoriously expensive car market, well above the $70,000 it costs in the United States, but existing owners willing to part with their car could get $130,000 for them, Tenfjord said.

The Tesla S went on sale in Europe in August. The model has a top speed of 200 kph (125 mph) and acceleration of 0-100 kph (0-62 mph) in 5.4 seconds. Its 483 km (300 miles) range outstrips other all-electric cars.

Tesla has already sold 14,300 units of the Model S in the United States so far this year.

Nice profit

Some drivers in Norway are now willing to pay as much as $20,000 extra to get the new Model S from existing owners. Currently only 12 of the new Teslas are available on Finn.no, Norway's top classified Web site with asking prices of up to $130,000.

"I have noticed that some people make a very nice profit on these cars," Tenfjord said. "The demand is extreme."

One of those second hand buyers, 27-year-old financial consultant Anders Langset, said a regular car with similar performance and engine size could have cost him up to 2 million crowns ($330,000) because of the punitive taxes Norway's government levies on cars with big engines.

"I paid more for a second-hand car than I would have paid if I bought it when it was new, but the demand is so high that I am sure I would get my money back and then some if I sold it again today," Langset said.

A BMW 5 series sells in the $100,000-$115,000 range in Norway, below the Model S, but its internal combustion engine is less powerful.

Cars with conventional engines of similar power to the Tesla model would typically retail for $200,000 and above as taxes are levied on engine size. Some carmakers sell their vehicles with smaller engines in Norway than the rest of Europe to keep them affordable.

Meanwhile no immediate effect has been seen on Norwegian demand for the Model S after a video emerged last week showing a Model S on fire after an accident near Seattle, which slightly dented this year's meteoric rise in Tesla's share price.

"We have had some questions from customers but it appears to have been a one-off and it has in no way reduced demand," Tenfjord said.

Tesla said the fire stemmed from a "highly uncommon occurrence" after the car was driven over a "large, oddly shaped metal object" which punched a hole through the quarter-inch armor plate protecting the lithium-ion battery pack, and that had it been a gasoline-powered car "the result could have been far worse."