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62.5% Fleets Bolstering New Car Sales; Fishy? Jitters Index -1.2% *Reported Sales Aug '12 % of RS* Aug '11 % of RS* % Change Reported 1,285,292 1,072,387 19.85% Delivered 1,186,428 92.31% 1,066,241 99.43% 11.27% Fleet/Bus Orders 98,864 7.69% 6,146 0.57% 1508.59% Act. 31 Days Aug. 1,123,691 87.43% 1,039,427 96.93% 8.11% Sept. 1-2 62,737 4.88% 26,814 2.50% 133.97% Fleet/Bus Orders 98,864 7.69% 6,146 0.57% 1508.59% Avg. 12 Mo. Cancel 18.63% 12.82% 45.32% Fulfilled Orders 80,446 6.78% 5,358 0.50% 1401.39% Total Aug Sales 1,204,137 93.69% 1,044,785 97.43% 15.25% Before looking at September sales projections, heres an interesting breakout of August sales. The industry reported 1.285 million sales, up 19.85 percent vs. a year ago. But on further investigation, the number of fleet orders counted as sales were significantly higher this year compared to last. Of this years sales report, 7.7 percent were fleet and business orders which are booked as salesbut are scheduled for delivery later in the year. This compares with 0.57 percent a year ago. In and of itself, wouldnt be a concern and could be attributed to an improving economic outlook. But it skews the industry into looking significantly stronger than it actually is. Why? Many of those orders will be cancelled prior to delivery. In August of last year, for example, nearly13 percent were cancelled. This year, the figure is running closer to 19 percent. So, to be honest, of the 98,800 fleet-business orders reported as sales in August, an estimated 80,450 will actually be delivered (sold). Secondarily, in the August data, sales attributed to August that were actually written in the first two days of September accounted for nearly 5 percent of total sales compared to 2.5 percent a year ago. So what were the actual sales in August when adjusted for September pull-forward and fleet-business orders that will be fulfilled? Up a solid 15.25 percent to 1.2 million; but not nearly as impressive as 20percent. And where did those extra orders come from? Interesting in an election year that state and federal governments gave a solid boost to the auto industry by increasing orders by 80 percent vs. a year ago; a 30-fold increase vs. July. (See Page 7 for details.) 09.21.12
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CNW US retail automotive-summary-Sept-2012

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Page 1: CNW US retail automotive-summary-Sept-2012

1.74%

62.5%

Fleets Bolstering New Car Sales; Fishy? Jitters Index

-1.2%

*Reported Sales Aug '12 % of RS* Aug '11 % of RS* % Change

Reported 1,285,292 1,072,387 19.85%

Delivered 1,186,428 92.31% 1,066,241 99.43% 11.27%

Fleet/Bus Orders 98,864 7.69% 6,146 0.57% 1508.59%

Act. 31 Days Aug. 1,123,691 87.43% 1,039,427 96.93% 8.11%

Sept. 1-2 62,737 4.88% 26,814 2.50% 133.97%

Fleet/Bus Orders 98,864 7.69% 6,146 0.57% 1508.59%

Avg. 12 Mo. Cancel 18.63% 12.82% 45.32%

Fulfilled Orders 80,446 6.78% 5,358 0.50% 1401.39%

Total Aug Sales 1,204,137 93.69% 1,044,785 97.43% 15.25%

Before looking at

September sales projections,

here’s an interesting breakout

of August sales.

The industry reported

1.285 million sales, up 19.85

percent vs. a year ago.

But on further

investigation, the number of

fleet orders counted as sales

were significantly higher this

year compared to last.

Of this year’s sales report,

7.7 percent were fleet and

business orders which are

booked as “sales” but are scheduled for delivery later in the year. This compares with 0.57 percent a

year ago.

In and of itself, wouldn’t be a concern and could be attributed to an improving economic outlook.

But it skews the industry into looking significantly stronger than it actually is. Why? Many of those orders will be cancelled prior to delivery.

In August of last year, for example, nearly13 percent were cancelled. This year, the figure is running closer to 19 percent. So, to be honest,

of the 98,800 fleet-business orders reported as sales in August, an estimated 80,450 will actually be delivered (sold).

Secondarily, in the August data, sales attributed to August that were actually written in the first two days of September accounted for

nearly 5 percent of total sales compared to 2.5 percent a year ago.

So what were the actual sales in August when adjusted for September pull-forward and fleet-business orders that will be fulfilled? Up a

solid 15.25 percent to 1.2 million; but not nearly as impressive as “20” percent.

And where did those extra orders come from? Interesting in an election year that state and federal governments gave a solid boost to

the auto industry by increasing orders by 80 percent vs. a year ago; a 30-fold increase vs. July. (See Page 7 for details.)

09.21.12

Page 2: CNW US retail automotive-summary-Sept-2012

12.93% 13.98%

11.9%

Page 2… CNW Research: Retail Automotive Summary September 2012

Closing Ratio Closing Ratio

37.02%

September Outlook: Could Hit 14.2 Million Delivery Rate; Year on Track: 14.5 Million

With the first 20-days of September behind us, the rest of the month could well put the auto industry at a 14.2 million delivery rate

and the year at 14.5 million units. Reported sales for the month should be up about 13 percent with deliveries up 11.7 percent.

Same store sales were just about 13 percent higher in the first 20 days vs. year ago with closing ratios swelling to 37 percent of

floor traffic. The last figure is well ahead of August’s 31 percent. (Doc. 832.)

While floor traffic has slowed somewhat, it still remains higher than year-ago by nearly 12 percent. Motivation: “Fuel economy of

existing vehicle” number one for 29 percent of new-car intenders followed by “Existing vehicle no longer suitable for driving needs”

(21.4 percent).

Most Staying in Same Market Segment

With that said, CNW’s Purchase Path still shows the majority of consumers who are looking to make a new-vehicle acquisition

are planning to remain in the same market segment and counting on the new vehicle to provide greater fuel economy. Roughly 18

percent say they are moving from a truck to a car with 11 percent reporting they intend to move from a car to a truck.

Loyalty to Brand Rebounding

While it’s too early to tell if the trend will continue, there is an

undercurrent of satisfaction with the current brand owned among

new-car intenders. Translation: The vast majority of new-car

intenders say they will stick with their current automaker when

time comes to make the trade.

That is welcome news for Toyota and Honda who have seen

the loyalty to those marques diminish over the past three years.

Ford and Hyundai were the two major recipients of those would-

be defectors. It now looks as if Ford, at least, will have to up its

marketing efforts to snag Toyota/Honda leaners.

Hyundai, on the other hand, continues to be on the shopping

list for Toyota/Honda shoppers as is Nissan and Chrysler to a

lesser extent.

General Motors, however, is being seriously thwarted

among new-car intenders. Fully 22 percent of new-car

intenders believe GM will eventually re-file for bankruptcy

within the next few years.

Only 8 percent of intenders think Chrysler will re-file for

bankruptcy, down from 34 percent two years ago.

Page 3: CNW US retail automotive-summary-Sept-2012

Page 3… CNW Research: Retail Automotive Summary September 2012

Jitters Index Slips v Year Ago, Flat Compared to August; Await Election

JITTERS INDEX Fed Gas Child’s Job Day to Day Condition of Food Local Jitters

Taxes Prices Edu Stability Needs Investments Prices Taxes Index

Vs Previous Mo. -0.10% 0.77% 0.00% 0.50% 0.78% -0.96% 1.68% 0.00% 0.38%

Vs Mo. ‘11 0.31% -7.29% -10.15% -3.00% 5.85% -7.21% 4.43% 0.71% -1.20%

Americans are putting many of their home-centric economic worries

on hold until the Presidential election is over. That’s the take-away from

the September Jitters Index surveys.

Overall, the Jitters Index was effectively unchanged from August’s

reading, up barely 0.38 percent. Each of the categories within the Index

similarly showed little month-over-month movement with the exception

of food prices.

When asked what they felt was the most important issue or event

that could affect their overall concerns, the Presidential Election was

number one, regardless of party affiliation.

A slim majority of the Key Market (consumers who make up the bulk

of big-ticket purchasers including auto buyers) said they expect the

Obama Romney

Gas Prices -37% 21%

Food Prices -21% 2%

Taxes -59% 14%

Job Stability 11% 19%

Day to Day Needs -12% -13%

Condition of Investments 15% 26%

Local Taxes -2% -1%

Overall Score -15% 10%

Weighted Average Respondents

re-election of President Obama would lengthen and/or worsen their home-centric economic condition.

Obama v Romney On Short-Term Impact

When asked about each of the home-centric main categories, Governor Romney was viewed as being able to have a quicker

positive impact on their lives, according to the respondents, while the overall score for President Obama was on the negative side

of the scale.

Policies that would improve gas prices, for example, showed Obama scoring a negative 37 percent to Romney ’s positive 21

percent. On the ability to stabilize the job market, both men scored positive with Obama at 11 percent, Romney at 19 percent.

In terms of initiating policies that would improve “Day to Day Needs”, both men were viewed about the same at negative 12

and 13 percent respectively.

Neither man was seen as being able to impact local taxes but Obama had a negative score of 59 percent when it came to

federal taxes while Romney had a positive 14 percent rating.

Page 4: CNW US retail automotive-summary-Sept-2012

Page 4… CNW Research: Retail Automotive Summary September 2012

Note: This is a Graphs Page.

40

45

50

55

60

65

70

75

80

85

90

Used Vehicle Days' Supply

Sept. Split of Days'

Supply

Car Truck

Sept 104.2% 96.70%

Oct 103.2% 96.35%

Nov 106.1% 95.32%

Dec 106.8% 94.68%

Jan 105.6% 94.95%

Feb 97.8% 105.85%

Mar 92.0% 110.71%

Apr 85.7% 118.41%

May 86.3% 118.66%

June 83.8% 122.14%

July 87.2% 109.67%

Aug 91.3% 108.85%

Sept 93.2% 107.02%

Oct 94.48% 105.31%

Nov 98.03% 104.67%

Dec 101.35% 98.44%

Jan. 12 102.42% 97.67%

Feb 89.93% 109.74%

Mar 88.58% 111.43%

Apr 86.37% 113.57%

May 90.24% 108.21%

June 102.71% 97.53%

July 119.46% 90.32%

Aug 121.64% 88.29%

Sep 121.73% 88.34%

Document 112m Detroit Asian Euro

May 40.91 44.87 52.36

June 41.57 43.79 52.74

July 41.06 43.92 50.03

August 43.34 41.28 48.62

Sept 44.97 42.05 46.32

Oct 45.62 42.09 46.58

Nov 45.05 44.28 45.32

Dec 45.08 46.39 45.47

Jan. 12 43.22 44.92 45.76

Feb 43.71 45.02 45.66

Mar 44.82 46.87 45.61

Apr 45.36 46.72 45.29

May 44.06 45.22 44.97

June 44.51 46.29 45.71

July 48.06 47.24 46.94

Aug 49.19 48.83 47.26

Sep 49.71 48.93 48.02

Page 5: CNW US retail automotive-summary-Sept-2012

Anticipated

Sept Actual Sept % Chng YTD YTD % Chng

Document 106m cy12 cy11 12v11 cy2012 cy2011 12v11

Franchised

Dealer Sales 1,328,881 1,189,966 11.7% 11,556,061 11,008,705 5.0%

Independent

Dealer Sales 1,288,739 1,174,839 9.7% 10,596,501 11,001,610 -3.7%

Casual (Private)

Sales 873,005 863,670 1.1% 9,194,429 8,144,612 12.9%

Total Sales 3,490,625 3,228,475 8.1% 31,346,991 30,154,927 4.0%

Page 5… CNW Research: Retail Automotive Summary September 2012

September got off to a strong used-sales start that continued

throughout the first 20 days and put the industry on a path to an

8-plus percent gain.

For the first time in months, Independent dealers are looking

at a significant year-over-year improvement thanks to

inventories and supply becoming more stable and

improvements in inventory make up.

Like the new-car market, all dealers are finding it easier to

place sub-prime used-vehicle paper. For the new-car market,

approvals for sub-prime are up 62 percent vs. year ago and 8.6

percent vs. last month.

A similar condition exists on the used-car side with sub-

prime in the opening weeks of September up by nearly 50

percent vs. the same month of 2011.

CONTEXT: Expect continued strong showings for Independent

dealers over the coming quarter as long as the supply issues

continue to improve and new-car dealers have solid trade-in

volumes. There was a slight weeding-out process over the

summer eliminating some weaker Indies. CNW expects the loss

of 200 to 500 used-car outlets by the end of the year.

September: All Channels Up; Indies’ Supply Stabilizes, Pushes Volume to Positive Gain

60.0%

70.0%

80.0%

90.0%

100.0%

110.0%

120.0%

130.0%

Sept Nov Jan Mar May July Sept Nov Jan.12

Mar May July Sep

Car V Truck Days' Supply

Car

Truck

New Finance Only (Doc 1409) Prime

Near

Prime Sub Prime

% Change v year ago 3.8% 4.3% 62.5%

% Change v previous month 0.44% 0.30% 8.55%

Page 6: CNW US retail automotive-summary-Sept-2012

Page 6… CNW Research: Retail Automotive Summary September 2012

Franchised Independent Franchised Franchised Independent Independent

Document 107m Asking Price Asking Price Trans Price % of Asking Trans Price % of Asking

Jan. '12 $11,516 $10,483 $10,855 94.26% $9,715 92.67%

Feb. '12 $11,714 $10,627 $11,155 95.23% $9,909 93.24%

Mar '12 $11,826 $10,592 $11,254 95.16% $9,874 93.22%

Apr ’12 $12,293 $10,289 $11,500 93.55% $9,379 91.16%

May '12 $12,119 $9,987 $11,296 93.21% $9,071 90.83%

June '12 $11,684 $9,937 $10,754 92.04% $8,977 90.34%

July '12 $12,136 $9,842 $11,185 92.16% $8,943 90.87%

Aug '12 $12,103 $9,849 $11,138 92.03% $8,936 90.73%

Sept ‘12 $11,827 $9,767 $10,894 92.11% $8,853 90.64%

Sept '11 $11,253 $10,219 $10,807 96.04% $9,572 93.67%

Oct. 11 $11,394 $10,384 $10,952 96.12% $9,744 93.84%

Nov. '11 $11,186 $10,148 $10,654 95.24% $9,452 93.14%

Dec '11 $11,058 $10,039 $10,547 95.38% $9,384 93.48%

Percent Change Yr over Yr 5.63% -3.18% 1.06% -4.34% -6.90% -3.85%

Month Over Month Price -0.27% 0.07% -0.42% -0.15% -0.08% -0.15%

Used Vehicle Prices Still Soft on Higher Volume; Turnaround May be in the Making The rate of price decline month over month is shrinking which could portend positive price increases in the fourth quarter of this

year and certainly no later than the first quarter of next.

Franchised-dealer asking prices were up more than 5.6 percent in the opening weeks of September but they couldn ’t make the

higher tags fully stick. Actual transaction prices were up barely 1 percent.

Independents’ asking prices were 3.2 percent lower than year ago with transaction prices off nearly 7 percent.

Haggling Increases

Used Car intenders are bargain hunting and increasingly using online price guides and Internet price sites such as AutoTrader and

craigslist to haggle with dealers. In fact, the number of shoppers who now haggle over a used car price has climbed from 71 percent in

2005 to more than 85 percent this year.

Page 7: CNW US retail automotive-summary-Sept-2012

Page 7… CNW Research: Retail Automotive Summary September 2012

Commercial-Fleet Jumps 96 Percent in August

cy12 Jan Feb March April May June July August

All Sales 912,874 1,148,975 1,404,100 1,184,069 1,334,150 1,285,005 1,153,269 1,285,292

Percent Change v Previous Year 11.4% 15.7% 12.7% 2.4% 25.9% 22.0% 8.9% 19.9%

Fleet and Commercial Use 39.52% 36.48% 36.92% 38.09% 36.41% 38.25% 38.73% 44.38%

Total Fleet (Monthly Approximates) 360,768 419,146 518,394 451,012 485,764 491,514 446,661 570,413

Percent Change v Previous Year 32.7% 40.5% 31.6% 22.4% 63.5% 77.2% 57.8% 96.1%

FLEET COMMERCIAL VALUE -- Per Unit $27,219 $27,254 $27,614 $27,943 $27,904 $28,147 $28,221 $28,794

FLEET COMMERCIAL VALUE -- Total $Bllns $9.82 $11.42 $14.31 $12.60 $13.55 $13.83 $12.61 $16.42

Percent Change v Previous Year 40.92% 48.55% 39.68% 30.13% 69.34% 84.70% 64.12% 104.25%

Government Fleet 18,805 23,439 28,222 24,747 25,616 25,315 22,373 40,358

Share Gov't of Total Sales 2.06% 2.04% 2.01% 2.09% 1.92% 1.97% 1.94% 3.14%

Percent Change v Previous Year -27.6% -17.5% -16.7% -18.0% 3.3% 10.8% 2.5% 83.7%

Small Business Fleet and Commercial Use 35,967 47,338 59,815 51,152 59,770 58,082 53,973 60,537

Share Small Business of Total Sales 3.94% 4.12% 4.26% 4.32% 4.48% 4.52% 4.68% 4.71%

Percent Change v Previous Year 34.3% 29.1% 24.1% 13.1% 72.4% 81.4% 63.8% 73.2%

Medium Business Fleet and Commercial Use 88,731 116,736 150,520 124,682 142,887 124,388 112,790 117,861

Share Medium Business of Total Sales 9.72% 10.16% 10.72% 10.53% 10.71% 9.68% 9.78% 9.17%

Percent Change v Previous Year -3.6% 57.5% 67.6% 48.5% 104.6% 88.1% 66.6% 77.1%

Large Business Fleet, Daily Rental, Commer. 217,264 231,633 279,837 250,431 257,491 283,729 257,525 351,656

Share Large Business of Total Sales 23.80% 20.16% 19.93% 21.15% 19.30% 22.08% 22.33% 27.36%

Percent Change v Previous Year 71.0% 45.5% 26.1% 19.8% 53.5% 81.5% 60.4% 110.2%

40.00%

47.50%

55.00%

62.50%

70.00%Share Retail

August 58.96%

Fleet orders showed a staggering increasing vs. year ago,

one that causes a bit of head-scratching and generates a lot of

questions. For example, the 84 percent increase in

government fleet orders and purchases is dramatically high

compared to previous months causing some speculation that it

is politically motivated to help automakers continue a positive

sales run.

Retail share of total sales fell again in August to under 60

percent reinforcing the 110 percent gain by large business

fleets.

Page 8: CNW US retail automotive-summary-Sept-2012

Page 8… CNW Research: Retail Automotive Summary September 2012

Mobile Part 4: In Auto Market, What are They Using Mobile to Find Out? In the Purchase Process, consumers cycle through a series of

stages in search of the right vehicle for individual driving needs. And

a growing percentage of those new-car shoppers are using mobile

devices to collect the appropriate information at the appropriate time.

A quick overview of the process:

When first considering a new-vehicle acquisition, a consumer

looks at his/her personal and family needs. Seating for six, towing a

boat, long distance vacations by car, for example. That example

would obviously eliminate many segments (e.g. mini-pickups,

sportscars).

The typical shopper then looks at the market segments and

models that meet those needs. This could well include minivans,

small or large SUVs, crossovers.

In the third stage of the Purchase Process, shopper will shuffle

through the various models found in the previous stage then look at

styling and personal considerations. For example, many will scratch

My needs Modelsavailable

Styling Features Price

61.62% 68.15%

27.61% 28.34%

73.94%

Use Mobile

minivans from the list because of the soccer mom stigma while

others will drop large SUVs because of the fuel-hog image.

The net result is a shopper with four to six specific vehicles on

the list before moving on to compare the features each of those

models have. This could include, in our example, a tow package,

rear-view camera, easy installation of electric brake systems, high

enough horsepower to tow a large boat, etc.

As with the third stage, the fourth results in fewer vehicles on

the list – typically no more than three – which are then price

shopped online and directly at dealerships.

Mobile’s Involvement

In CNW’s mobile studies, as the chart at the left shows,

mobile’s highest use is to compare prices among the “finalists” in

the shopping process. But that’s not the only area mobile has a

strong presence.

When consumers are looking to define their “needs,” 62

percent use a mobile device to research potential vehicles

meeting those needs or driving habits.

An even larger percentage of new-car shoppers use a mobile

device to search out models that meet those driving requirements.

When asked if this is done in a single sitting or over multiple days,

the vast majority – 88 percent – reported tapping into their mobile

device “as time permitted.” Translation: Looking at a model or two

over lunch or during a work break or while sitting in traffic. This is

distinctly different from what CNW has seen with computer usage.

Shoppers tend to do a large amount of research in a single

session while mobile users spread the research out.

When comparing styling and features, however, the small

screen is a hindrance and mobile use diminishes only to increase

again at the end of the Purchase Funnel when Price is the key

information requirement.

Page 9: CNW US retail automotive-summary-Sept-2012

Toyota Motor Sales USA certainly seems to

be rocking and rolling again, after several years

in the barrel.

The bleak years, lest we forget, were marked

by massive recalls, embarrassing Congressional

hearings, federal fines, red ink, then

compounded by last year's earthquake and

tsunami in Japan.

But Toyota, Scion & Lexus are back in favor

with Americans. The automaker reported selling

1.399 million Toyotas and Scions in the first 8

months of 2012 vs. just 1.07 million a year ago. Lexus “Split World,” click here.

Jean Halliday’s

Page 9… CNW Research: Retail Automotive Summary September 2012

Lexus sales are up nearly 25% in the same period to 150,604 units.

Still, let's compare that to the first 8 months of 2007, when the OEM said it sold 1.569 million Toyotas and Scions, plus 220,000 from

Lexus. In perspective, the whole industry has been in a funk in this country for several years. These days Toyota Motor is motoring right

along.

In general, the automaker's advertising hasn't been much to crow about. Over the years, Toyota's three brands have sold lots of new

vehicles IN SPITE of their so-so advertising. But there's a couple of bright spots of late.

Let's start with Lexus, which for the most part has used some of the

Lexus “Future Unfolded,” click here.

most mind-numbing ads in the luxury car segment pretty much since the new century

started. Such a shame for a brand that once had some of the industry's most

memorable ads, such as the champagne glasses balanced on the hood.

Some Hits, Some Misses at Toyota ‘Split World’ from Team One Gets a ‘Bravo’; ‘Future Unfolded’ Not so Much

Page 10: CNW US retail automotive-summary-Sept-2012

For the launch of the new 2013 ES and first ES Hybrid comes this gem, called “Split World.” Bravo! This commercial from Team

One is one of the best from Lexus in a long time. It's visually arresting, almost forcing you to watch. The montages portray

modernism, cool technology and luxury. And the premise actually makes sense: “Introducing a reason to look twice.” It's not loaded

with a bunch of mumbo-jumbo talk or list of features, which most people just go online to find out about anyway.

But Lexus isn't out of the woods yet. How could the brand get it so right with that spot and so wrong with another ES launch

commercial? Check out “Future Unfolded.” (Previous page.)

Page 10… CNW Research: Retail Automotive Summary September 2012

Where are the ‘Old’ People?

Lexus said this is one of 3 spots targeted at African-American, Hispanic and LGBT audiences. It's amazing how different the two spots

are. This one is just lame. It tries too hard to be cool and young- two words not readily associated with Lexus.

Why are all those young folks in the ES and dancing around it? They are no where near in age to the actual Lexus owner base. You can't

fool people about this either. One sharp YouTuber commented “That's funny....I didn't see any old people” in that ad.

One place the Lexus ES won't be taking these hip people is to a night club.

The writing is forced, especially this line from the narrator, actor Jim Remar, “with technology and style to match your achievements and

desires.” That's quite lofty and presumptuous of Lexus to think it knows what peoples' desires are. Those words are just wasting time and

space in the ad.

Lexus is taking a page from cousin Scion with a social media push reaching out to start-up innovators and the chance for four of them

to each get $100,000 in seed money for their products. Voting will take place on a custom Facebook app. The ES also becomes the first

auto brand with a brand magazine on mobile Flipboard. This is a smarter way to reach a younger audience.

OK. Let's move onto the Toyota brand.

It's been a while since Toyota has done any meaningful national advertising for its full-size Tundra pickup. Back in 2007, Toyota spent

more than $100 million to launch the then-redone, more competitive Tundra in hopes of selling 200,000 of them that year. That was

Toyota's biggest-ever launch.

But Tundra still takes a back seat to Detroit's truck iron, selling only 65,600 Tundra's in the first 9 months of 2012.

Now Toyota is beating the drums again for the pickup, starting a multi-media push this month about how the Tundra will tow “an

American icon live before the whole world” on Oct. 13. Yup, the Tundra will haul the space shuttle Endeavour for the last leg of its trip

from Los Angeles International Airport

The Tundra Endeavour, click here.

on city streets to the California Science Center. It's a big deal since a stock, 1/2-ton, 2012

Tundra CrewMax will be used to tow the 145-ton shuttle.Toyota's ad agency, Saatchi & Saatchi

Los Angeles, handled the deal with the Science Center to show off the Tundra's towing

toughness.

Here's the promo, just one of lots of videos coming for the effort Toyota is encouraging

people to follow the Tundra's adventure online at www.toyota.com/TundraEndeavour. People

can sign up for email updates and Toyota will donate $50 to the science center for every Tweet on Twitter about the tow.

Page 11: CNW US retail automotive-summary-Sept-2012

There's just one little detail that's almost glossed over in Toyota's hype about this feat. The pickup is only going to tow the space shuttle the last

quarter mile of its 12-mile trip leg to the Science Center!!!

Doesn't all this hoopla seem a bit too much for that?

Meanwhile, the Toyota brand just announced it is dropping its “Moving Forward” ad tag that's been used since 2004. That's great news! That

line was a nothing but a corporate-driven theme from on high that really had little to do with the brand. It's generic and could have been used for

lots of other car brands.

I'll bet 9 out of 10 Americans couldn't identify it as Toyota's ad tag- even after 8 years and millions of dollars of advertising. Back in 2004,

Toyota exec Jim Lentz admitted that the brand's “Oh, what a feeling” tag, which showed owners jumping for joy, had the most consumer

awareness at the time, which makes you wonder why they dropped it. Toyota used that line from 1980 through '86.

Toyota's new line, “Let's Go Places,” will bow late this year.

New Tag Missing Something

Ugh oh. Also sounds very generic and interchangeable with other car brands. Hey, it could be used for an airline or online travel site.

Toyota Division's Bill Fay, group VP-general manager, gave this explanation, saying the new tag “speaks to the evolution of Toyota and our

commitment to leading through innovation, enriching lives and connecting with customers in new ways they define.” He called the tag “energetic,

aspirational, inclusive and very versatile. The phrase conveys a dual meaning of physically going places and taking off on an adventure, while

also expressing optimism and the promise of exciting innovation that enriches people ’s lives.” Okay then. Rationalize it any way you want. It would be better to have NO tag than to use one that isn't tied directly to one brand and one brand only.

Page 11… CNW Research: Retail Automotive Summary September 2012

But here's something Toyota IS doing right. It has taken owner

testimonial ads to a new level with its new Camry Effect blitz that

includes this web site at http://toyota.com/camryeffect.

Smart Site Sets the Industry Bar

Billed as “real Owners. Real Stories,” the site is loaded with

tons of great input from actual owners. The site has interesting

factoids, like 79% of Camry owners know how to change a tire

and 82% prefer an automatic.

Toyota is pushing the site via TV ads like this one from

Camry owner Ja Ne't Rommero Testimonial ads are nothing

new in car advertising, but THIS is smart advertising and sets

the bar for the industry.

Toyota Camry: Ja Ne’t Rommero’s Story, click here

Page 12: CNW US retail automotive-summary-Sept-2012

This time of year always generates significant sales of smaller, less expensive vehicles as high school and college students and

their parents enter the market looking for cars and trucks that provide reliable transportation. While most go into the used-car

market, those lucky enough to come away with a new vehicle usually gravitate toward the lower end of the spectrum.

That’s what happened in August. Budget cars had a slight uptick as did Economy cars, neither hitting their share-of-sales high

water mark but clearly on the rise.

Electric cars saw an increase in August, but mostly because of fleet not consumer purchases.

The full-size pickup market is healthy again. For the fourth month in a row, this segment took a larger share of sales than the

previous month and hit the highest share of sales of 2012 in August at 11.6 percent. Small businesses were the driving force here as

they continue to see improvements in construction trades requiring pickup trucks as the key means of transportation.

Page12... CNW Research: Retail Automotive Summary September 2012

12.09%

11.40%

11.87%

11.31%

11.78%

12.21%

12.48%

Entry Level Utility Vehicle

2.09% 2.13% 1.96% 1.93%

1.70% 1.54% 1.68%

1.81%

Budget Car

12.54%

13.45% 13.81%

12.34% 12.41% 12.13%

12.24%

12.87%

Economy Car

0.14% 0.13%

0.21%

0.16% 0.17% 0.18% 0.20%

0.28%

Electric Car

Back to School Smaller Vehicles Take the Prize; Small-Business Pickups Best of ‘12

89.7% of Sales

Incentivized

Of the vehicles sold in

August, nearly 90 percent

carried an incentive. That’s

the highest percentage of

2012 and the highest since

July of 2005.

While the industry has

gotten significantly better at

targeting incentive dollars

both by model and market,

the need to offer some form

of dealer or consumer “spiff”

has grown with the ability of

shoppers to research both

MSRPs and discounts.

As a share of total

incentive dollars, Detroit was

responsible for 45 percent;

Asian 54 percent; European

1 percent. (See Doc 121m.)

Page 13: CNW US retail automotive-summary-Sept-2012

Page 13… CNW Research: Retail Automotive Summary September 2012

10.90% 10.56%

10.37% 10.19%

10.46% 10.58% 10.78%

11.63%

Full Size Pickup

1.56% 1.71% 1.68% 1.99% 2.05% 2.05% 2.08%

1.66%

Full Size Van

1.32% 1.35% 1.38% 1.33% 1.46% 1.52%

1.67%

1.21%

Luxury Car

10.78% 11.04% 11.43% 11.87% 12.44% 11.96% 10.76%

10.14%

Lower Midrange

8.51%

8.20% 7.99% 8.20%

8.34% 8.28%

8.77%

8.53%

Lower Mid Range Utility Vehicle

1.62% 1.46%

1.33% 1.49%

1.66% 1.74% 1.79%

1.38%

Large Utility Vehicle

Page 14: CNW US retail automotive-summary-Sept-2012

3.70% 3.52% 3.35% 3.35% 3.06%

3.51% 3.80% 3.71%

Page 14… CNW Research: Retail Automotive Summary September 2012

Near Luxury Car

0.24% 0.20% 0.21%

0.24% 0.29%

0.21% 0.23% 0.26%

Midi-Van

2.32% 2.27% 1.98%

2.17%

2.66% 2.70% 2.35% 2.34%

Mid Range Utility-Vehicle

3.47% 3.86% 3.85% 4.01% 4.14%

3.72% 3.78% 4.28%

Minivan

0.37%

0.28% 0.30% 0.29% 0.31% 0.26%

0.37%

0.24%

Premium Car

4.39% 4.64% 4.24%

4.63% 4.05%

4.52% 3.93% 3.76%

Premium Mid-Range Car

Noteworthy: Another sign that there

is life in the small business

community is the improved

share-of-sales for Midi-

Vans such as the Ford

Transit Connect.

As CNW pointed out a

year ago, the Transit

Connect has a strong

consumer following with

sales for non-business

purposes running at 12 to

20 percent, depending on

region.

Page 15: CNW US retail automotive-summary-Sept-2012

Page 15… CNW Research: Retail Automotive Summary September 2012

0.25% 0.25% 0.31%

0.34%

0.27%

0.34% 0.33% 0.33%

Premium Sporty Car

3.24% 2.73%

2.50% 2.76% 2.72% 2.74% 2.72% 2.78%

Premium Utility Vehicle

12.56% 12.42%

12.87% 12.43%

11.54% 11.21%

11.85%

12.71%

Standard Mid Range Car

2.54% 2.23% 2.07% 1.91% 1.91% 1.93% 2.02% 1.86%

Small Pickup

0.19% 0.17% 0.16%

0.15% 0.17% 0.14%

0.17% 0.19%

Sport Utility Pickup

1.75% 2.07% 2.19%

2.43% 2.39% 2.64%

2.28% 1.94%

Touring Car

Noteworthy: Toyota and Honda

rebound is showing up as a

share of Standard Mid-

Range Car data. This

segment (far left) had its

best share-of-sales month

of since March, second

best of the year.

Page 16: CNW US retail automotive-summary-Sept-2012

Page 16… CNW Research: Retail Automotive Summary September 2012

0.07%

0.05%

0.03% 0.03% 0.02% 0.02% 0.02%

0.01%

Traditional Car

0.02% 0.01%

0.02% 0.02%

0.02% 0.02%

0.02% 0.01%

Ultra Upscale Car

0.05% 0.04% 0.04%

0.05% 0.04% 0.04% 0.05%

0.04%

Ultra Luxury Sporty Car

1.61% 1.54% 1.37%

1.81% 1.90% 1.88% 1.79% 1.97%

Upper Mid-Range Utility

0.04% 0.05%

0.02%

0.04%

0.06% 0.05%

0.03%

0.05%

Ultra-Premium Utility Vehicle

0.17% 0.16%

0.12%

0.18% 0.19% 0.16%

0.19%

0.15%

Upper Premium Sporty Car

Noteworthy: The Traditional Car

segment continues to

decline as brands drop

their historic models such

as the Crown Victoria and

Mercury Marque.

Page 17: CNW US retail automotive-summary-Sept-2012

Page 17… CNW Research: Retail Automotive Summary September 2012

Back Page *Deliveries not sales Sept 1-15 Sept 1-15 % Chng Actual Sales Sept '12 Full Mo

cy2012 cy2011 12 v 11 Sept '11 Sales Change

New Cars Extension

Detroit 3 129,462 119,582 8.3% 149,373 161,714 8.3%

Asian 156,904 131,646 19.2% 273,010 325,391 19.2%

European 29,573 28,629 3.3% 73,993 76,433 3.3%

Ttl Pass. Cars 315,939 279,857 12.9% 496,376 563,538 13.5%

New Trucks

Detroit 3 182,819 168,432 8.5% 357,193 387,703 8.5%

Asian 51,376 43,628 17.8% 172,881 203,583 17.8%

European 5,771 5,582 3.4% 26,860 27,769 3.4%

Ttl Lt. Trucks 239,966 217,642 10.3% 556,934 619,056 11.2%

Ttl Industry 555,905 497,499 11.7% 1,053,310 1,182,594 12.3%

Sept 1-15 Full Sept % Chng Prev Mo Prev Mo % Chng

cy2012 cy2011 12 v 11 cy2012 cy2011 12 v 11

Lease Share 27.9% 25.7% 8.6% 27.9% 25.3% 10.3%

Floor Traffic - New 76.92 63.65 20.8% 76.25 64.53 18.2%

Floor Traffic - Used 86.45 76.84 12.5% 86.22 77.42 11.4%

Sept 1-15 Prev Yr % Chng % Chng Pent Up Demand Units

cy2012 Full Sept Same Mo '11 Prev Mo Aug '12 96,700

Avg. New MSRP $37,224 $34,708 7.25% 0.18% Aug '11 182,250

Total Discounts $4,981 $4,956 0.50% 0.11% % Change -46.9%

Manufacturer Incentives $3,642 $3,367 8.17% 0.22%

Dealer Incentives $1,339 $1,589 -15.73% -0.19% Purchase Delay Months

Core Transaction Price**** $32,243 $29,752 8.37% 0.19% Aug '12 3.47

% Mfg Incentive of MSRP 9.78% 9.70% 0.9% Aug '11 4.8

% Ttl Discounts of MSRP 13.38% 14.28% -6.3% % Change -27.7%