right now but for the first quarter of 2022, sales are dipping hard. Year over year, the American market just experienced a 16.6 percent drop during the quarter. It’s so rough that some brands are touting the fact that they slid less than competitors.
Of course, at the heart of the issue is a huge parts shortage that includes the dramatic lack of microchips available for new vehicles. Due to those shortages and other factors, the supply of available cars, trucks, and SUVs is far less than the current demand. Still, it might come as a shock to many of you to learn that GM sold 20.4 percent fewer cars in Q1. That includes a 58.2 percent drop in total sales under the Buick brand. Dodge was down 36 percent, Chrysler 27 percent, and RAM 15 percent. EvenImport brands weren’t spared either. Honda was down 23 percent, Toyota was down 14.9 percent, and Nissan saw a 28 percent drop. Porsche saw a 24.9 percent dip and the VW group as a whole was down 23.2 percent.