Ford Fiesta

Authored by Mike Shedlock via MishTalk.com,

As initially reported by the Census Department, motor vehicle sales were up 1.2% in July following a 0.9% gain in June. At the time, I commented, “This is unbelievably bizarre in the face of actual auto sales reports.”

The Census Bureau revised sales estimates much lower in September as noted in Retail Sales Unexpectedly Decline, Huge Negative Revisions in June and July: Reflections on “Bizarre” Sales Reports.

It was hard to find a bright spot for auto investors in July's auto sales figures released earlier today with GM down 15% YoY, Ford off 7% and Chrysler down 11%.

The companies blamed the drops on lower fleet sales but GM’s retail sales also fell 14.4% from July 2016.  Meanwhile, Ford and Fiat Chrysler retail sales had single-digit declines, and their fleet sales fell 26% and 35%, respectively.

Here's a recap of how each of the largest OEM's made out in July:

GM:

A pensioner drove over five miles down the wrong way on the M60 in Manchester before colliding head-on with other cars. The man in his eighties has been hospitalized while police inquiries are ongoing. AOL Travel reports: The pensioner was in a red Ford Fiesta and was spotted heading anti-clockwise in the right hand lane between junctions 3 at Cheadle and 9 at Trafford Park at 6.10pm on Monday 3 May. Two ambulances were sent to the scene after he crashed into two other vehicles. Luckily, nobody was seriously injured in the incident.