NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACT:

Sara Panza
Greater Cleveland Automobile Dealers’ Association
440.746.1500

Auto Dealers Kick Off 2017
With Strong Double Digit Sales Increase

Cleveland, OH (February 3, 2017) –  Franchised new vehicle dealers across Northern Ohio kicked off 2017 in fine fashion, ringing up a strong double digit sales increase when comparing last month to January of 2016. Dealers sold a total of 21,996 new vehicles in the month, compared to 19,770 sold in January of last last year, an increase of 11.26 percent, according to figures released today by the Greater Cleveland Automobile Dealers’ Association (GCADA).

It marked the fifth straight year that franchised new vehicle dealers across Northern Ohio have started off the year with a sales increase. The increase also ran counter to a national trend that shows sales as being flat or even slightly off from 2016.

“We are pleasantly surprised by bucking the national trend here in Northern Ohio for new vehicle sales,” says Louis A. Vitantonio, president of the GCADA. “We do realize the continued consumer preference for crossovers, SUVs and trucks is being driven by a number of factors including fuel cost and economy.

“We see a plateauing of sales in the coming months, however the outlook for 2017 remains positive with this above average start.”

In a trend seen across last year, sales of trucks, SUVs and crossovers continue to grow at a faster clip than cars. Franchised new vehicle dealers sold 11,367 new cars last month compared to 12,843 cars in January of 2016, a decrease of 11.49 percent. However, dealers sold 10,629 trucks, SUVs and crossovers last month, compared to only 6,927 units sold in January of 2016, an increase of 53.44 percent.

Chevrolet sold 3,549 total new vehicles in January, taking home the title of Northern Ohio’s Best Selling brand for January of 2017. Ford came in second with 3,429 vehicles sold, but both brands registered sales gains of over nine percent for the month.

Honda had a stellar month, selling 1,886 total new vehicles compared with 1,707 sold in January of 2016. Toyota sold 1,588 vehicles for fourth place, narrowly edging out Jeep which sold 1,531 vehicles, the latter being an increase of over 25 percent for the month.

In addition to Jeep, other big winners out of the gate for 2017 included Acura, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, Mini, Porsche, Ram, Subaru and Volkswagen—all of which registered sales gains of over 25 percent for the month. While not having volume as high as some of those brands, Maserati and Jaguar rang up sales increases of 233.33 percent and 300 percent, respectively.

22 Brands Up in January (‘17 v. ‘16)

The following brands posted sales increases in January of 2017 versus January of 2016: Acura, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, GMC, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Jaguar, Jeep, Kia, Land Rover, Maserati, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mini, Nissan, Porsche, Ram, Subaru, and Volkswagen.

New-car and truck sales in Northern Ohio
January ’17 / January ’16 & 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 dealer, 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.

About the Cleveland Auto Show 
The Cleveland Auto Show marks the start of the spring selling season in Northern Ohio. Featuring concept, pre-production and production vehicles from the world’s auto manufacturers, the show is held annually at the I-X Center with nearly 1.2 million square feet of exhibits. The Show also features an array of entertainment including sports celebrity appearances from the Browns, Cavs, and more. The Cleveland Auto Show is a consumer show and a favorite family tradition since 1903. Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheClevelandAutoShow.

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