Light trucks help Canadian auto sales hit record level in November

Strong trucks sales helped push auto sales up 3.6 per cent in November 2014, setting a record for the month, according to DesRosiers Automotive Consultants Inc.

DesRosiers also noted that sales through the first 11 months of the year were just shy of the total sold in all of last year.

“It is a rare occurrence to be just 24,901 units short of last year’s overall total in November but here we are,” the Toronto-based firm said in a note to clients.

DesRosiers said light vehicle sales in Canada reached 138,694 last month, up from 133,860 in the same month last year.

The increase came as light truck sales increased 10.2 per cent to 84,826 compared with 76,949 in November 2013. Meanwhile, car sales slipped 5.3 per cent to 53,868 from 56,911 a year ago.

Sales for the year to date totalled 1,718,211, up 5.4 per cent from 1,630,076 a year ago.

Chrysler Canada Inc. claimed the top spot among the automakers with 20,922 vehicles sold last month, up from 19,206 in November 2013 as a gain in truck sales outpaced a drop in car sales.

Truck sales at the automaker totalled 18,961 for the month, up 17.4 per cent from 16,153 a year ago, while the company’s car sales amounted to 1,961 vehicles, down 35.8 per cent from 3,053 in November last year.

Meanwhile, Ford Motor Co. of Canada, Ltd. sales totalled 20,067, putting it second place for the month, up two per cent from 19,668 a year ago. Ford truck sales were up 9.3 per cent at 16,341 compared with 14,951 a year ago, while car sales fell 21 per cent to 3,726 from 4,717.

General Motors of Canada Ltd. (GM Canada) said its November sales in Canada were up 10.2 per cent from a year ago at 19,264 compared with 17,482 in November 2013. The increase came as GM Canada truck sales rose 8.8 per cent to 13,458 from 12,368, while car sales gained 13.5 per cent to total 5,806, up from 5,114 a year ago. Total GM Canada sales for the year to date totalled 230,553, up six per cent from 217,908 for the same period last year.

Toyota Canada Inc. topped the import automakers as it sold 13,367 vehicles last month, down from 13,952 a year ago.

According to DesRosiers, Honda Canada Inc. sold 12,736 vehicles last month, up 3.9 per cent from 12,258 a year ago, while Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. sold 10,061 compared with 10,001 in November 2013.