With new registrations jumping 25.7% in May, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (NYSE: FCAU) outsold Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) and General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) in Europe to become the fourth-ranked automaker in the European Union. Fiat Chrysler still trails Ford in year-to-date sales, but it increased its share for the first five months of 2016 from 6.5% in 2015 to 7% this year, while Ford’s share dropped from 7.3% to 7.1%.

The European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) reported Thursday that new vehicle registrations in the European Union rose 16% in May compared with new registrations in May of 2015. New registrations for the month totaled 1.29 million units. Germany led with 286,931 new registrations, followed by the U.K. with 203,585 and Italy with 187,631.

For the first four months of 2016, total sales for the 27 EU members came to 6.38 million, up 9.9% compared with the four months of last year. Germany posted a four-month total of 1.31 million, while registrations in the United Kingdom totaled 1.16 million and new registrations in Italy rose to 875,778.

New car registrations have now posted year-over-year monthly increases for 33 consecutive months. Among the 27 members of the EU, consumers purchased 13.71 million new vehicles in 2015, up 9.3% year over year.

The top-selling carmaker in the European Union is Volkswagen, which sold 309,708 vehicles in May, up 9.3% year over year for the month. VW’s market share for the month totaled 24%, down from 25.2% in April 2016 and down from 25.5% in May 2015.

Renault Group was the second-leading company in terms of market share for May with 10.6% of the EU market. PSA Group, makers of Peugeot and Citroen among other brands, with 10.5% of the market was third.

Of the Detroit Three, Ford sold 85,824 units in May, up 7.9% year over year for the month. The company’s May 2016 market share came to 6.7%, down from 7.2% in May 2015. Ford sold 454,914 units in the first four months of the year, earning 7.1% of the market, down 0.2 points compared with the first four months of 2015.

Chrysler increased its May market share in the EU from 6.9% to 7.5% year over year led by a 31.4% increase in sales of the company’s Jeep brand. FCA posted new registrations totaling 446,553 for the first four months of the year and grew its year-over-year market share from 6.5% to 7.0%.

Opel Group, the GM subsidiary in Europe, posted a May market share of 6.7%, down 0.3 point compared with May of last year. Sales of the Opel/Vauxhall brands rose 12.6% year over year. In the first four months of 2016, Opel Group’s market share remained unchanged at 6.8%. GM has sold 432,939 units through May.

BMW Group’s market share in May rose from 6.3% last year to 6.5%, and the company sold 84,222 units last month, a 21.2% jump year over year. For the first four months of 2016, BMW’s market share rose from 6.2% a year ago to 6.4% on sales of 409,537 units.

Get Our Free Investment Newsletter

I have read, and agree to the Terms of Use

Daimler posted a market share loss, falling from 6.1% in May 2015 to 6% last month. For the first four months of the year, the Mercedes-Benz maker posted a year-over-year share gain of 0.3 points, to 5.9%.

Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE: TM) posted market share of 3.9% in May, up 0.1 point compared with last year. For the first four months of the year the carmaker’s market share remained unchanged at 4.2%.

The company with the largest percentage sales increase for the first five months of 2016 is Jaguar Land Rover, with sales up 33.6% to 97,031 units. Honda Motor Co. Ltd (NYSE: HMC) has lifted sales by 32.4% in the same period and Mazda sales are up 29.4% year to date.

Among the Detroit Three, Fiat Chrysler is pulling further ahead of GM/Opel and closing the gap on sales with Ford. The Jeep is enormously popular in Europe as are the company’s Lancia/Chrysler and Fiat brands. Sales of all three were up by more than 25% in May.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.