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May 2016: FCA wins, Ford and GM stumble on weak car volumes

The May 2016 sales numbers are in, and it looks as though FCA is getting some vindication for boldly cancelling two slow-selling car models. Meanwhile, Ford saw overall sales dip and GM's May volume took a big dive versus the same month in 2015. While Marchionne's decision to axe the Chrysler 200 and Dodge Dart has drawn criticism as being short-sighted, it's working for FCA so far. Although the Dart and 200 aren't out of production yet and no capacity has been shifted to crossover or trucks, May's numbers show that the emphasis on Jeep and Ram models makes sense right now. FCA's US sales rose 1 percent last month compared to May 2015, putting the year-to-date total at 955,186 vehicles, an increase of 6 percent compared to the same period last year. Standouts included the Jeep Renegade, Compass, and Patriot, and the Fiat 500X. Ram pickup sales were down 3 percent. And your fun fact is that Alfa Romeo sales were up precisely 10 percent, for a total of 44 4Cs sold versus 40 in the same month last year. At FoMoCo, the Ford brand took a hit to the tune of 6.4 percent from May 2015 to 2016, registering 226,190 sales last month. Lincoln showed improvement on its modest numbers, going from 9,174 to 9,807, a 6.9 percent increase. Overall, Ford was down 5.9 percent for the month to 235,997; despite the slump, year-to-date total Ford sales are up 4.2 percent to 1,112,939. Strong sellers included Escape, Expedition, F-Series, and Transit - big stuff. Most small and/or efficient models (Fiesta, Focus, Fusion, C-Max) saw sales slides. Fusion sales were also down, likely due to effects of model changeover to the freshened 2017 model. Ford has promised four new crossovers and SUVs by 2020 and if things keep trending this way the company will be able to sell them, but things could change in the next four years. GM saw the worst of it for domestic brands. Retail and fleet sales were down for each of the four divisions, with the May 2016 total dropping 18 percent to 240,450 vehicles. GM's year-to-date sales are down 5.0 percent in 2016 to 1,183,705. Both the Sierra and Silverado were down significantly, and the majority of Chevy, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac nameplates saw sales decreases, with both small cars and larger utilities included. Not even big stuff could help GM this month, it seems. We'll have more on the rest of the industry's May sales as those figures trickle in.

Mystery Cadillac coupe concept revealed in patent drawings

We have been reminded once again that when Cadillac designs a coupe, it's usually spectacular. The reminder comes in the form of a patent drawing filing that was previously reported on by Jalopnik. In the filing are shots of the two-door from just about every angle, and there's not a bad one in the bunch. Unfortunately, there isn't really any other information about the car in the patent, so the car remains a mystery in that regard. Still, there's a fair amount to be gleaned from the images. It certainly looks sportier than most recent Cadillac concepts. It has a fastback roof and a short deck lid. The rear bumper has a diffuser design fitted to it. The rear fenders are very wide. It has large auxiliary grilles on each side of the center one, and the way the taillights are designed seem to hint at extractor vents. The overall proportions even look a bit like those of the Camaro, but possibly a little larger. The car also looks like it's probably a concept. The side mirror stalks are far too skinny to actually be production units. The big diffuser and center exhaust, plus those rear extractor vent designs seem a little much for a production model, too. The headlights are also a little on the small side. Being a concept (probably), we're a little worried. We really want to see this thing come to market, but Cadillac has a bad track record of showing beautiful concepts that never make it to production, even when they aren't particularly over-the-top. The Elmiraj and Ciel are two that come to mind. The former was a coupe, too, and was elegant and grounded. We never got a production version of either. We did see some styling inspiration from the Elmiraj on the ATS and CTS, but they never quite captured the concept's beauty. Then again, when Cadillac has managed to bring a recent concept to production, the results haven't great. The Converj concept became the ELR, and while the styling came through fine, it was hampered by an uninspiring powertrain and an excruciating price tag. But hey, Cadillac could always prove us wrong. And we would like them to. Related Video: Featured Gallery Cadillac Coupe Patent Drawings News Source: U.S. Patent and Trademark OfficeImage Credit: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Cadillac Coupe Concept Cars Luxury

Seventies super-salesman challenges new car-sales record

Some of the fondest memories from my youth were the Sunday afternoons spent walking between rows of new and used cars. This preceded the advent of widely available internet, so the cars didn't sell themselves online: A tentative buyer had to come see the cars in the metal, with old-school salesmen taking well-earned smoke breaks after putting someone behind the wheel of a new Saab 900. All-inclusive subscription services were unheard of. If you open a Guinness records book and look up car salesmen, you'll find Joe Girard. The definitely old-school Detroit salesman regularly sold over 1,000 new cars per year, with a particular high point of 1,425 cars in 1973 guaranteeing him a mention in the Guinness book. To reach that kind of sales figure, you had to be a pretty special salesman, and Girard was. He didn't take breaks unless absolutely necessary, and even his lunch hours were dedicated to selling more cars instead of shooting the breeze with other sales persons. By 1977 he was worn through, having sold over 13,000 cars in his career, and his physique couldn't take it anymore. He's been a motivational speaker since. Now, 44 years later, a Dearborn, Mich., Cadillac and Chevrolet salesman named Ali Reda has reportedly broken Girard's record. The books at Les Stanford Chevrolet Cadillac say Reda sold 1,530 new cars and 52 used cars in 2017, averaging 130 vehicles per month. But after Girard, 89, heard of the sales record, he called his attorney, not letting his record be broken without a fight — or at least an audit. The Dearborn dealer isn't too concerned about Girard's doubts, at least according to Gary Stanford, whose father founded the dealership. "It's very official, trust me," said Stanford to the Detroit Free Press. "Ali is the hardest worker I've ever seen. And if someone doesn't believe the data, well, they're more than welcome to consult with GM. It's all there in black and white." What Girard doesn't get is that Reda was honoring him with the accomplishment. "I read his book, 'How to Sell Anything to Anybody,' and it said it would teach you how to become the best," said Reda, who at age 44 was a newborn when Girard hit his peak. "He's an absolute legend in the industry. Your whole career, you're chasing his name.