Auto Sales Take Hit Due to Weather

The auto industry was unable to escape the throws of the polar vortex in January, a month when the weather is expected to push industry sales as a whole down about two percent. The bright spot was Chrysler which posted an eight percent sales increase. The new Jeep Cherokee pushed that brand up 38 percent. All of Chrysler’s brands were up, and it was a particularly strong month for the Chrysler 200 mid size car, even as a new version was introduced at the North American International Auto Show. Ford, meanwhile, says it’s January sales were off 7 percent. But Lincoln, with a 43-percent increase, posted its strongest sales in four years. GM sales dropped 12 percent, with fleet deliveries dropping 18-percent and retail sales down 10-percent. The entire January sales report is expected to feel the impact of snow, ice and cold.