Automakers are close to setting an all-time record for annual auto sales in the United States. While Thanksgiving and the ensuing cold traditionally make November a slower month?total light-duty vehicle sales reached 1.31 million, versus May’s peak of 1.63 million?there are enough weeks left in December to potentially end the year above the 17.35-million mark set in 2000. Most automakers saw only modest gains versus a year earlier, with the exception of Mazda (up 7 percent), Hyundai (12 percent), Jaguar Land Rover (55 percent), and Volvo (91 percent). We imagine Ford may be having second thoughts about selling the Premier Automotive Group.
Volvo Hits Eight-Year Record

Volvo’s turbochargers (and superchargers) are starting to whip up some boost. The company’s 6902 sales equaled the best November in eight years. The XC90 was Volvo’s biggest seller at 2236 units, while the XC60 at 2077 was up 26 percent. The S80 nearly tripled to 449 cars, but with numbers like those, Volvo still has a long way to climb. The S80’s replacement, the 2017 S90, just made its debut but won’t reach dealerships until early summer. Volkswagen in the Dumps

We can’t not mention Volkswagen, can we" Despite a late September stop-sale that blocked all 2.0-liter diesel models, Volkswagen finished October flat. But November, which forced dealers to block additional cars, revealed the true wounds. Total sales dropped 25 percent to 23,882 cars. If we add back...