Rows of new Passats await delivery at the Chattanooga Volkswagen manufacturing plant at the Enterprise South industrial park.NOVEMBER SALES
U.S. sales by company and percent gain over a year ago:• Honda, up 39 percent• Volkswagen, up 29.3 percent• Toyota, up 17 percent• Chrysler, up 14 percent• Nissan, up 13 percent• Hyundai, up 8 percent• Ford, up 6.5 percent• General Motors, up 3.4 percentSource: MCT Information Services
Volkswagen had its best November in the U.S. in nearly 40 years last month, but worries the economy could drive off the fiscal cliff may hit December auto industry sales, experts said Monday.
Jonathan Browning, chief executive of Volkswagen Group of America, said he’s expecting “a relatively strong” December, but federal budget talks could hinder consumer confidence.
“Discussions around the fiscal cliff have the potential to disrupt confidence,” he said in a conference call with reporters and analysts.
Overall, VW’s U.S. sales climbed 29.3 percent in November over a year ago to 36,728 last month, the company said.