October auto sales up 8 percent in the Valley

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Sales of new and used vehicles in the Mahoning Valley were up by 8 percent in October, as the local market continues to show signs of strength as the year comes closer to an end.

Sales were up across the country by 7.5 percent last month, climbing at one of their fastest rates all year.

The Valley seemed to shrug off the 16-day government shutdown as much of the rest of the country did last month.

The auto industry is on track to have its best year since before the recession, with sales at an annual rate of about 15.4 million in October.

In the Valley, dealerships sold 5,978 new and used vehicles in October, up from 5,499 in October 2012, according to data released Monday by the Automobile Dealers Association of Eastern Ohio.

Through the first 10 months of the year, dealerships have sold 4,576 more vehicles than they did during the same time last year.

Chevrolet remains the best-selling new make. There were 573 Chevys sold in October, and sales of the brand were up 19 percent year-to-date through October, with 1,354 sold. Ford sold 370 vehicles here last month, and year-to-date figures are strong for the automaker in the Valley, with 558 more vehicles sold this year than last.

Honda was the third-best-selling new make in October, with 117 Hondas sold. The Japanese automaker has sold 88 more vehicles through the first 10 months of the year than it did in 2012.

Toyota sold 109 vehicles, and Dodge sold 106 in October.

Despite the second- straight month of national sales declines for the Lordstown-built Chevrolet Cruze, it stayed atop the best-selling models in the Valley last month, with 153 sold — up 34 from October 2012. The Cruze sold 279 more units year-to-date in October, compared with the same time last year.

The Chevrolet Equinox was the next best-selling new model in October, with 108 sold for an increase of 40 units from the same time last year. The Ford F-150 was third with 90 units sold in October. The Chevrolet Malibu was fourth with 89 sold, while the Ford Escape sold well as winter approaches with 84 sold, making it the fifth-best-selling model.

Meanwhile, for the second-straight month, franchised new-vehicle dealers in northern Ohio posted double-digit gains in October compared with the same time a year ago.

According to statistics released Friday by the Greater Cleveland Automobile Dealers’ Association, dealers in northern Ohio sold 19,508 vehicles in October, compared with 17,314 during October 2012.