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Analysis
Global auto makers sold 6.92 million vehicles in September, the highest monthly result since March and the second-highest increase in 18 months.
September’s tally represented a 6.6% gain over year-ago, albeit a slight dip from the 7.2% increase in August.
But it was a significant improvement over the 2.3% growth the industry averaged from March to July in the wake of Japan’s tsunami and earthquake.
September’s gain was fueled by a 9.5% jump in North America, where the U.S. (+10.7%), Canada (+0.2%) and Mexico (+11.5%) combined for nearly 1.3 million sales for 18.6% of global vehicle sales.
The Asia/Pacific region saw vehicle deliveries rise 5.8% to 2.93 million units in the month, marking the largest volume since March, accounting for 42.8% of worldwide sales.
China, alone, took 23.8% of the global vehicle market in September, with 1.65 million deliveries, up 5.8% over year-ago.
Related document: World Vehicle Sales Summary
Japan finished the month in the No.3 position (behind China and the U.S.), with a sales drop of 2.1%, breaking an 11-month streak of double-digit declines.
