Did Your Favorite Brand Live Up To It's New Years Resolution In January?

When you traditionally start a new year, a resolution is typically made to do better and cast off bad habits.

The automakers typically do just such a resolution by forecasting sales for the upcoming year.  Whether it be a modest sales increase in the case of Toyota, predicating a low single digit increase over 2007. Or maybe even the brazen (fool hardy) admonishment by Audi to blow out the luxury market with the aggressive double digit gains.  Either way an expectation for the year is made to the public and the stock holders.

While we all hoped January would signal a turn around, it actually turned out to be a pretty bloody month for sales.  Many of our tried and true performers either stumbled, or quite frankly fell on their faces.

Rule Number 1: If you want to sell cars you have to have them in stock.  

Looking over the results, the biggest shortcoming for January might have been BMW.  After setting a blistering sales pace towards the end of 2007, the supply chain simply was outstripped by demand, and there were not enough cars to sell in January.  If you notice in the numbers below, the shortage of inventory led directly to BMW dropping from 8^th overall in 2007 to 12^th in January allowing Volkswagen, Kia, Mazda and even Mercedes Benz to sell more cars.

Rule Number 2: You have to use every piece of the puzzle to finish it.

The second biggest shortcoming honors for January may have to fall to Lexus.  Everything is cyclical in this business, and Lexus has always avoided the inevitable sales decreases of other makers by an ever expanding portfolio.  But as the lineup rounds out the easy gains experienced over the past have now led the slow down witnessed over the last few months. For Lexus the time has come for each and every model to fully stand on its merits and no doubt their work is cut out for them in 2008.

Rule Number 3: Don’t promise what you can’t deliver.

Let’s not forget the banter tossed out by Audi to dominate the global scene by the end of the next decade.  Big talk indeed. While it is true that Audi proudly claimed a new sales record for January, the truth is that 19 more cars sold for the month won’t push them towards the global goal at breakneck speeds.  Hmm Toyota probably loses more car than that each month.

Rule Number 4:  Learn from your mistakes.

Finally what is the deal with Acura?  After tumbling almost 11% last year, they posted negative January numbers on the already dismal 2007 figure.  If Acura can’t get their act together soon and find a direction other than down, Honda may have to rethink its luxury brands future.

Rule Number 5: Do your homework and you be rewarded.

Who finished on the upside? How about GM! It looks like the tide maybe turning for the lumbering giant, as sales continue to gain momentum.  We have some winners out there and more on the way. I can’t help but wonder if some of these sales are coming from Toyota though.

Mazda and Mini both had sterling months until you remember that Mini had a shortage last year similar to it’s big brother’s woes this January.   

And finally both Bentley and Rolls  Royce showed there is no shortage of the mega rich out there demanding their wares, as both posted impressive gains.  However I think we maybe can put a fork into Maybach, because with sales of only 7 units in January it’s future may be very bleak.

So take a look at the good, bad, and the ugly and let us know what you think of the first month in 2008.