Will poor '06 Charger sales affect the Challenger project?

[Orange_Crush]

Makes me wonder if Azteks, Subaru Bajas and Yugos met projected sales numbers.

Nope, definitely not, and absolutely no way.

[bull]

Makes me wonder if Azteks, Subaru Bajas and Yugos met projected sales numbers.

Nope, definitely not, and absolutely no way.

C'mon, even the Baja? That's a hippy/yuppy dream car.

[andy74]

my dealership is fairly small,we average 450-500 new cars a year,and 3-400 used.we have sold quite a few magnums,and already sold 13 chargers.the wierd thing,is when the magnum came out,everybody wanted a hemi-the 6 cylinders were damn nea impossible to sell.the charger is the exact opposite,we sell every base se that comes in,and have only sold 3 or 4 r/ts,with 2 daytonas on order for people.I think every one who knows me from here knows that i do not support the name,but they are a nice driving car,and i really hope they do come out with the challenger,2 door,just so i have something fun to sell for a change!

[BrianShaughnessy]

All I know is now one got sold to some 80 yr old guy down the street... a 3.5 SE.      I was at the garage with the Charger Friday getting the yearly $10 ripoff inspection sticker and he pulled in to pick up his daughter who was dropping off her truck for something.
He was very happy with the car... said the 3.5 was plenty powerful for them and the car rode and handled just great... his daughter who was probably around my age or older agreed that they loved the car.    They loved mine too but hey...   what's not to love   


The dealer in town now has 3 sitting out as of the other day.      The 1st one they had was that gawdawful red R/T that took a few weeks to sell back in June.      I've seen one of the burnt orange looking Daytona versions cruising around town now.

For whatever reasons...   most reviewers like it - we here may be in the minority... well except for all the people that will only buy foregin crap in the first place.   

[Orange_Crush]

Makes me wonder if Azteks, Subaru Bajas and Yugos met projected sales numbers.

Nope, definitely not, and absolutely no way.

C'mon, even the Baja? That's a hippy/yuppy dream car.

The Baja has been axed because of poor sales.

They were building the Baja to appeal to all the people who bought Subaru BRATs when they were younger and now wanted a grown-up version.

Problem is, what was cool about the BRAT was the fact that it was NOT grown-up.

[bull]

I believe it. All I know for sure is that the Baja is butt-ugly.

[ChargerBill]

I'm sorry...am I missing something? I guess if no one else is going to point this out or question it, then I will. I thought there were 31 days in October. Am I wrong? Can anyone else confirm 31 days in October? Do they count September sales as the October total? Who knows how this works? You see, because if they are really going to give a TOTAL sales figure for October when we are only at October 10th then something smells a little fishy. Are the total sales based on consumer pre-orders? And if so, why even bother having ANY Chargers sit on the lot for sale? Are the total sales PROJECTED? Are they counted by how many Chargers the dealerships order/purchase or are they figured by consumer sales? So, on the 10th of October the TOTAL sales are already known? These guys should be playing the lotto and predicting the stock market if they're THAT good. My point is this; if these TOTALS are merely a guestimate then we could also logically conclude that every previous month is a guestimate as well...talk about inflated sales figures. Where's the legitimacy in that? Gee, how hard would it be to fudge numbers and inflate totals if all you have to do is GUESS how many cars you're gong to sell? Someone who KNOWS please explain this, because it's making no sense... I'm sure there is a LEGITIMATE explanation...right?



Also, please note another thing. A great example EXAGGERATION here: They scream for joy about how 300 sales are up a HUGE percentage....yeah, from LAST MONTH (which was WAY down from September last years figures) BUT, the reality is that 300 sales are still DOWN from same month last year...almost accross the board in fact. This also doesn't bode well for the Charger. If it's only selling 5,000 units a month this year, it looks like it will be LUCKY to sell 3,000 units a month next year based on the falling sales curve from same time last year of other LX models. We may not see a Challenger afterall...

Also, notice how June is missing from the '05 sales chart? IMO this chart is bogus...or at the very least half assed. If these are true figures, what's there to boast about? And if this chart is bogus and everyone is basing their argument FOR Dodge based on these figures...well, that figures. I must see 10 to 20 new Mustangs a day on the road, so I can BELIEVE the sales figures put out by Ford. But I honestly don't know if I have seen more than ONE Charger a week on the road...these DCX sales figures just don't seem like they have anything to do with reality...

[Charger1970]

We may not see a Challenger afterall...

That is the best news I have heard yet!

[TheGhost]

Um.... what poor sales?  Everything I've seen says that they are slightly exceeding sales expectations.

[Orange_Crush]

I'm sorry...am I missing something? I guess if no one else is going to point this out or question it, then I will. I thought there were 31 days in October. Am I wrong? Can anyone else confirm 31 days in October? Do they count September sales as the October total? Who knows how this works? You see, because if they are really going to give a TOTAL sales figure for October when we are only at October 10th then something smells a little fishy. Are the total sales based on consumer pre-orders? And if so, why even bother having ANY Chargers sit on the lot for sale? Are the total sales PROJECTED? Are they counted by how many Chargers the dealerships order/purchase or are they figured by consumer sales? So, on the 10th of October the TOTAL sales are already known? These guys should be playing the lotto and predicting the stock market if they're THAT good. My point is this; if these TOTALS are merely a guestimate then we could also logically conclude that every previous month is a guestimate as well...talk about inflated sales figures. Where's the legitimacy in that? Gee, how hard would it be to fudge numbers and inflate totals if all you have to do is GUESS how many cars you're gong to sell? Someone who KNOWS please explain this, because it's making no sense... I'm sure there is a LEGITIMATE explanation...right?



Also, please note another thing. A great example EXAGGERATION here: They scream for joy about how 300 sales are up a HUGE percentage....yeah, from LAST MONTH (which was WAY down from September last years figures) BUT, the reality is that 300 sales are still DOWN from same month last year...almost accross the board in fact. This also doesn't bode well for the Charger. If it's only selling 5,000 units a month this year, it looks like it will be LUCKY to sell 3,000 units a month next year based on the falling sales curve from same time last year of other LX models. We may not see a Challenger afterall...

Also, notice how June is missing from the '05 sales chart? IMO this chart is bogus...or at the very least half assed. If these are true figures, what's there to boast about? And if this chart is bogus and everyone is basing their argument FOR Dodge based on these figures...well, that figures. I must see 10 to 20 new Mustangs a day on the road, so I can BELIEVE the sales figures put out by Ford. But I honestly don't know if I have seen more than ONE Charger a week on the road...these DCX sales figures just don't seem like they have anything to do with reality...

Ummmmmm

take a REALLY good look at that second Chart Bill.

Hint...the problem has been corrected on LXforums.

[ChargerBill]

So obviously there was a mistake on the chart... I'd still like to know how the numbers are figured and who organizes the data. To me, for the numbers to be believable I'd like to see an independent 3rd party with no stake in DCX sales to come up with real numbers. I mean, it's not like consumer sales and dollars spent hasn't been padded in the past by many retailers just to artificially inflate corporate value and consumer response to a certain brand... Fudge the numers here, shave a few there...all comes out in the wash, but still not really accurate or reliable. I'd like to see DMV registrations...THAT info I would believe.

I think it's also noteworthy that on a month to month basis sales on the entire LX platform haven't really increased very much percentage wise. Where the 300 and Magnum have fallen off in sales the Charger has made up the difference. I wouldn't exactly call that additional sales. Basically they now offer Chocolate and Strawberry and the blandest of all - Vanilla, but the additional offering hasn't boosted sales enough to even matter much...

[Orange_Crush]

So obviously there was a mistake on the chart... I'd still like to know how the numbers are figured and who organizes the data. To me, for the numbers to be believable I'd like to see an independent 3rd party with no stake in DCX sales to come up with real numbers. I mean, it's not like consumer sales and dollars spent hasn't been padded in the past by many retailers just to artificially inflate corporate value and consumer response to a certain brand... Fudge the numers here, shave a few there...all comes out in the wash, but still not really accurate or reliable. I'd like to see DMV registrations...THAT info I would believe.

I think it's also noteworthy that on a month to month basis sales on the entire LX platform haven't really increased very much percentage wise. Where the 300 and Magnum have fallen off in sales the Charger has made up the difference. I wouldn't exactly call that additional sales. Basically they now offer Chocolate and Strawberry and the blandest of all - Vanilla, but the additional offering hasn't boosted sales enough to even matter much...

Bill, you might want to go to LXforums and check out the charts they have there.  The charts that you have are messed up.

Charger sales for September were over 6000.

In any case, The sales numbers are always supplied by the manufacturer because they are the only ones with access to total sales data.  They wouldn't "fudge the numbers" because those things are pretty easy to track by anyone willing to do just a tiny bit of research.  The purchase of a vehicle leaves several different paper trails.  Fudging the numbers on that would be tantamount to suicide.

As far as Charger sales taking sales from other LX vehicles, that's bound to happen.  The charger is at least five grand less expensive than the 300.  In any case, the plant where all three LX cars are built is running right at the limits of its production capacity. so selling cars you can't build would be impossible.

[Shakey]

Sales are totaled using work orders.  Every car has/is a work order.  Every car is sold before it is built.  Sales figures are calculated prior to month end, as is the case with many manufacturing firms. 

There are just under 1100 members on here talking about a handfull of dealerships in Canada and the United States.  There are 350 million people on the continent and many, many more dealerships that we will ever see.

Like or not, the Charger is selling and will continue to sell.  As mentioned above, the Daimler facility in Brampton, ON is running 24 hrs and building 1200 (combined) cars per day.