2011 370z sales

Originally Posted by SeattleLion

The numbers look proportionately right until we get to May 2011. I wonder if the slump in May had to do with low supply due to the earthquake.

If you look at the net change it is

Jan -106
Feb -128
Mar -121
Apr -10
May -370 (hmmm)

So if you normlize Jan-April, sales dropped an average of 91 cars a month. May's sales slipped very badly, about 30% year-over-year. 2010 wasn't a great year either, but not terrible considering the economy. The YTD average sales drop is 147 units a month compared with 2010. May really hurt the averages. But I suspect the real drop is in the 90-cars-a-month range with Japan's problems causing the May slump.

I don't know if Nissan is willing to take another 30% hit in 2012, if that is how they are forecasting. Two things need to happen to make a car maker believe that things will improve tomorrow (well, next year): 1. The economy will improve substantially; more employment, etc. and 2. gas prices will subside to below-$3.50 a gallon. Arguably, gas may need to go below $3.00 a gallon before people take a chance on a high-powered car like the Z.

Since car makers need at least two years lead time for a really new model, did Nissan decide to work on a new Z last year? I wonder. I think if I were in their shoes I would keep making the current 370 with only minor tweaks until the end of the recession and crazy oil prices are in sight. At this point it doesn't hurt Nissan to make/sell less Z's. The tooling and stuff is all paid for.

I hope they look ahead and see an expanding market for sports cars.

Originally Posted by Dizon248

It is because of the earthquake. If you look at all Japanese manufacturers' sales numbers for May (there's an article on it on autoblog) you see all of them suffering big time.

Originally Posted by dad

There is no shortage of 370's in California! I did an inventory search of the following Nissan dealers. The following locations have that number of 370Z"s sitting on there lot. Plus there are a lot more dealers I didn't search! Don't blame the earth quake for dismal sales.
Oxnard-3
Thousand Oaks-1
Simi Valley-2
Woodland Hills-3
Santa Barbara-00
Valencia-3
Mission Hills-5
VanNuys-2
Santa Monica-3
Van Nuys-2
Universal City-7
Hawthorne-1
Hawthorne-1
Downtown L.A.-00
Glendale-1
Gardena-1
Carson-3
Alhambra-3
Downey-2
Signal Hill-5
Cerritos-2
Antelope-00

I count fifty, 370z's, base to Nismo's. Don't blame the earth quake.

Originally Posted by dirtrat

Just out of curiousity, you think this is alot of 370Z's for a state that has 40 million people? Also I wonder how many of those are 2010 models?

Originally Posted by dirtrat

Just out of curiousity, you think this is alot of 370Z's for a state that has 40 million people? Also I wonder how many of those are 2010 models?

Originally Posted by fullmonty

Its not very many if you compare it to Mustangs

Originally Posted by dad

2011----------------------2010
Jan..567------------------ 673
Feb..571------------------699
Mar..974-----------------1,095
April.942------------------ 952
May..847-----------------1,217
June.644-------------------892
July..550-------------------976

Originally Posted by Mt Tam I am

Sugar coat it any way you want, this is a decreasing trend.

Originally Posted by dad

2012 sales could be worse! No changes to the body, no increase in performance!