Orange County auto sales took a 5% dip in February compared to last year, according to the Orange County Automobile Dealers Association’s monthly report, which tracks auto registrations. U.S. sales were off 3.4% in the month.
The list of decliners is long: Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, Isuzu, Kia, Saab, Saturn, Volkswagen, Mitsubishi, Honda, Lexus, Nissan, Mazda, BMW, BMW’s Mini Cooper, Pontiac, Porsche, Jaguar and Mercedes.
In fact, February was a drab month for just about every auto name. Saab and Saturn dealers had the biggest percent drop in OC. But relatively few Saturns and Saabs are sold so there can be big swings from month-to-month. Dealers sold 96 Saturns and 27 Saabs in February.
Boosted by its popular 300C, Chrysler sales rose 68% to 379 autos for February. Also gaining was Toyota, which saw a 5.8% increase to 3,010 autos. Volvo’s sales jumped nearly 18% to 171 cars.
Tracking the longer-term trend, Scion’s sales were up 66% through the first two months of 2005. It’s the biggest year-to-date increase of any auto brand. Other top gainers this year were Audi, Suzuki, Chrylser, Land Rover, Acura, Buick and Volvo.
Struggling Mitsubishi no longer is the biggest percentage decliner through the first two months of the year, despite a 30% decline. Isuzu’s 59% drop has that distinction.
OC buyers’ preference for Japanese, European and Korean cars was the inverse of the U.S. market.
About half of the autos sold in OC were Japanese with 31% domestic. Nationally, 37% of the autos sold were Japanese and 51% were domestic.
Meanwhile, European vehicles made up 17% of OC’s market, twice that seen across the U.S. Korean cars made up 2% of the OC market and 4% of the U.S. market.
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WaterCar: 45 miles per hour on sea |
Driving on Water
Here’s something for the person who has everything,an SUV and boat in one.
Dave March has developed a car that can drive on the road and then take a dip. The retired co-founder of Caliber Collision Center displayed his water car at the Southern California Marine Association’s recent boat show in Newport Beach. The car can get up to 145 miles per hour on land and 45 miles per hour on water.
March, founder of WaterCar Inc., which operates out of a design studio at his Newport Coast home, has fused a Jeep on top of a Boston Whaler boat. He also has invented a convertible Camaro that can travel over water.
“His intention is eventually to take (the Jeep vehicle) to market,” said Dave Geoffroy, executive director of the marine organization.
Latino Link
Irvine-based Autobytel Inc., which hooks up online car shoppers with dealers, ramped up America Online Latino’s Autom & #243;viles site as part of AOL Latino.
Now, it’s set to do the same for MSN Latino, the Spanish-language portal for Microsoft Corp.
See page 13 for more on Autobytel’s executive shift last week.
Eye Shades
Foothill Ranch-based Oakley Inc.’s Iacon unit recently bought five Optica retail stores in Southern California, Boston, Las Vegas and Puerto Rico.
Iacon’s South Coast Plaza and Boston stores will keep the Optica name. Stores in the Fashion Show in Las Vegas and Puerto Rico will change names to “Sunglass Designs.”
Iacon is a mall-based chain that operates under several names, including Sporting Eyes, Oakley Icon, Sunglass Club and Occhiali da Sole.
In November, Oakley picked up Shades of California (now Sunglass Designs) in Ala Moana Shopping Center in Hawaii.
The company recently reported first-quarter sales that rose 10% to a record $142 million.
Retail Moves
Los Angeles-based Caruso Affiliated has tapped Todd Russell as senior vice president of leasing.
Russell was a leasing executive for C.J. Segerstrom & Sons, owner of South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa.
Caruso is a developer of outdoor retail and entertainment malls. Some of its current developments include a town center in Playa Vista and a retail center in Marina del Rey.
Russell, who handled leasing and merchandising for South Coast Plaza, lives in Newport Beach.
Meanwhile, John Beaney is the new senior vice president of retail leasing and sales for Los Angeles-based Colliers Seeley International.
Beaney, who will work out of Colliers’ Irvine office, is set to help large retailers grow, sell properties and pick store locations.
