Auburn Hills, Mich. - Chrysler Group reported U.S. sales for November 2005 of 159,898 units, a decrease of 7 percent (3 percent decrease unadjusted) compared to November 2004 when 164,280 units were sold. Sales figures are adjusted for the number of selling days unless otherwise indicated.

 

'Chrysler Group outperformed the overall industry and posted a 24 percent increase in retail sales in November compared to October. However, November sales did not meet our expectations and fell short of last year's performance,' said Gary Dilts, Chrysler Group Senior Vice President - Sales. 'Our 'Miles of Freedom Plan' in addition to other consumer incentives increased showroom traffic and we expect that to continue through year-end. We are looking forward to a strong December and finishing the year on a high note.'

 

Led by unique products like the Chrysler 300 and Chrysler PT Cruiser, and innovative, exclusive features like Stow 'n Go minivan seating, the Chrysler brand is experiencing the best year in its history. With November sales of 49,917 units and 597,085 units year-to-date, the Chrysler brand surpasses the total sales for 2004 of 588,891 units and represents a 10 year growth of 126 percent for the brand.

 

Retail sales of the Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Caravan minivans, which both have the exclusive Stow 'n Go seating system, increased 61 percent in November compared to October retail sales.

 

Sales of the Chrysler PT Cruiser increased 24 percent to 11,193 units. November 2004 sales were 8,697 units.

The segment-leading Chrysler 300 continues to sell briskly, posting a November sales record of 12,647 units, an increase of 5 percent over November 2004 sales of 11,574 units. November marks the 18th of 20 months that the Chrysler 300 has sold in excess of 10,000 units.

 

The all-new Jeep Commander, the newest capable addition to the Jeep family and the first Jeep with three rows of seats, posted sales of 3,825 units, an increase of 23 percent over October 2005 sales of 3,241 units. Jeep Wrangler, the icon of the Jeep brand, posted sales of 4,482 units, an increase of 6 percent over last year sales of 4,078 units.

 

Dodge Durango posted healthy sales in November of 11,143 units, equal to last year's results of10,717 units on an adjusted basis.

 

'Looking ahead, economic indicators are showing strong positive trends for December. Fuel prices are steadily coming down, consumer confidence has shown substantial increases and the stock market is gaining momentum,' said Dilts. 'December is traditionally a strong selling month and we have products that are unique in the marketplace and features that cannot be found anywhere else. Anticipation is high for a strong close to 2005.'

'We are continuing to introduce a steady stream of new products in 2006 to enhance our product portfolio,' continued Dilts. 'We are planning for December sales to provide the momentum for a good start to 2006.'

Chrysler Group finished the month with 589,108 units of inventory or a 92-day supply.