2004 Chrysler Group Sales Press Release Archive

Chrysler Group Reports U.S. Sales Increase 5 Percent; Total Year Sales Rise 3 Percent

• December Sales Continue Monthly Year-Over-Year Sales Increases, 14 of Past 15 Months
  
  
• Fourth Quarter 2004 is Fifth Consecutive Quarter of Sales Gains
  
  
• Chrysler Brand December 2004 Sales Increase 36 Percent Year-Over-Year
  
  
• Minivans with Stow 'n Go Seating Post Monthly Sales Increase of 29 Percent Year-Over-Year
  
  
• Dodge Magnum Records Highest Monthly Sales Since Introduction
  
  
• Monthly Sales of Chrysler 300 and Pacifica are Highest Ever

Capping off a strong year of nine new product introductions, innovative product features and strong retail sales, Chrysler Group reports December U.S. sales of 199,280 units, an increase of 5 percent (9 percent increase unadjusted). December results represent the 14th time in the past 15 months sales have increased year-over-year. Sales for the fourth quarter also posted improved results, rising 5 percent and marking the fifth consecutive quarter of year-over-year sales gains. 2004 total year sales reflect an increase of 3 percent (4 percent unadjusted) over 2003 total year sales.

"Our 2004 numbers reflect the strong retail sales we have had throughout the year, due mainly to the introduction of nine new products," said Gary Dilts, Chrysler Group Senior Vice-President - Sales. "Great new products drove traffic into the showrooms and contributed to the improved retail showing."

Chrysler Group minivans with the innovative Stow 'n Go seating posted strong sales results for December, increasing 29 percent to 41,321 units. Sales of the Chrysler Town & Country improved 31 percent year-over-year to 16,377 units while sales of the Dodge Caravan rose 27 percent to 24,944 units. The last month of sales in excess of 40,000 units was March 2003.

"Stow 'n Go seating has been a big hit for us," said Dilts. "Customers see how unique the feature is, the great versatility it offers, and they are asking for it by name in our showrooms."

Chrysler brand posted an increase of 36 percent in December 2004 over 2003 to a record 60,195 units. Robust fourth quarter sales of 158,813 units, an increase of 43 percent led to a record-setting year for the Chrysler brand. Total year sales were 588,891 units, an increase of 27 percent year-over-year.

The multiple-award winning, Chrysler 300 finished 2004 with a strong performance, posting record sales of 13,342 units in December. Since its April 2004 introduction, the segment leading Chrysler 300 has posted sales of 107,184 units, surpassing its 300M predecessor by nearly 92,000 units or 600 percent in year-over-year sales. Sales of the Chrysler Crossfire increased 100 percent, posting sales of 1,269 units for December. The Chrysler Pacifica set a monthly sales record of 11,038 units in December, improving 26 percent compared to 2003.

"The Chrysler 300 was the star of our nine new product introductions for 2004," said Dilts. "It became the 'must have' car of the year and drove loyal Chrysler customers and competitive customers into our showrooms."

The Dodge brand increased sales 2 percent to 101,355 units, led by strong performances of the Dodge Magnum and Dodge Durango. The Dodge Magnum set a monthly sales record by posting sales of 6,260 units in December, a seven percent increase over November sales. For the year, sales of the Dodge Magnum totaled 39,217 units. Dodge Durango posted December sales of 12,264 units, an increase of 22 percent compared to December 2003.

The Jeep® brand experienced a decline in sales of 19 percent to 37,730 units as shipments of the all-new Grand Cherokee continue arriving at dealerships. December sales of Jeep Grand Cherokee were down 15 percent to 20,382 units. Jeep Wrangler sales declined 28 percent to 4,573 units, while Jeep Liberty sales were down 21 percent to 12,775 units.

"Despite losing a Saturday selling day to the holiday and inclement weather in many parts of the country, Chrysler Group and the industry were up in December," said Dilts. "With additional high-volume product introductions in 2005, we believe we will continue to have the freshest, most unique product lineup in the industry, along with the most innovative products in the market. We think customers will want to be a part of that."

Chrysler Group finished the month with 600,606 units of inventory, or an 81-day supply.