The following is a summary of a UBS full-length report on this topic, dated
November 2, 2005.
* October U.S. Auto Sales were dismal:
After strong sales driven by aggressive discounting in previous months,
we continue to see the payback, with sales down sharply in October. The
mix of trucks versus car sales deteriorated.
* GM and Ford sales down sharply:
Both GM's and F's unit sales fell 23%, with 50% or higher declines in some
SUV models.
* Chrysler's sales up 1%:
In contrast to F and GM, Chrysler's sales were up 1%, supported by strong
lower-margin commercial fleet sales.
* Ford's and GM's market share fell significantly:
F's market share fell 2.6%, GM's 3.5%, while Chrysler's increased 1.8%.