A relatively robust selling rate helped trim both unit stock and days’ supply, the latter slipping to a subpar 51 at the end of the month from a more normal 61 days’ at the close of November.
Although December deliveries of 114,085 units topped prior-year’s 111,352, the daily selling rate trailed by 1.3% when the extra selling day in 2011 is factored in.
With Ford still mulling changes to its slate, the industry now is set to build 3,798,900 cars and trucks in the period, up slightly from 3,797,600 a month ago and still 10.3% ahead of year-ago.