J.D. Power and Associates Reports: Retail Sales Remain Driving Force Behind Strength in New-Vehicle Sales in November

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.: 30 November 2010 — November new-vehicle retail sales continue to track at a strong selling pace as the month closes, with the selling rate expected to come in at 10 million units, according to J.D. Power and Associates, which gathers real-time transaction data from more than 8,900 retail franchisees throughout the United States.

“Strength in retail sales has continued past mid-November, revealing a trend toward sustained upward momentum,” said Jeff Schuster, executive director of global forecasting at J.D. Power and Associates. “It appears that consumer concern regarding the pace of the recovery may be easing as the industry exhibits gradual improvement.”

For total sales, the seasonally adjusted annualized rate (SAAR) is expected to come in above the 12 million unit level, with fleet sales accounting for 19 percent of the month’s sales.