The Chrysler Group posted an incredible 39th consecutive year over year gain in June 2013 with an 8% improvement over June 2012 with 156,686 vehicles sold last month. None of the 5 company brands posted a decline in sales compared to the same month one year ago and the biggest contributors to the strong growth rate in June 2013 were the models that offer the Pentastar V6 and the Hemi V8 – including the Charger, Challenger, Durango and Ram lineup. No other automaker doing business in the United States has posted anywhere near 39 consecutive months of growth in the modern auto industry.
With a 23% year over year gain, the Ram brand was the leader among the Chrysler Group monikers. As is always the case, the Ram truck lineup played the biggest part with an increase of 24% via 29,644 units sold. Ram 1500 sales were up by 36% while the Ram Heavy Duty lineup improved by 5%. The Grand Caravan based Ram C/V (Cargo Van) moved 1,291 units – marking the best month since being introduced in 2011.
Dodge was the second best brand of the Chrysler Group in terms of year over year growth with an increase of 12%. The leaders in individual growth were the Durango (+39%), the Challenger (+27%) and the Charger (+15%) – all of which come with either the Pentastar or Hemi. While the Dodge Dart was only in its infancy at this point in 2012 so there isn’t a legitimate growth rate, the Dart’s contribution of 6,437 units also played a big part in the growth of the Dodge brand. Dodge was lead in sales by the Caravan lineup with 10,225 units sold followed by the Charger at 9,812 and the Avenger (Pentastar powered) with 7,582 units sold in June.
While the discontinuation of the Liberty forced the Jeep brand to record a flat (0%) growth rate for June 2013, the Grand Cherokee lineup (featuring the Pentastar V6 and Hemi V8) saw an impressive gain of 33% while every other available vehicle in the Trail Rated family posted positive growth.
The only Pentastar and Hemi powered vehicle in the Chrysler Group portfolio to see a decline in sales was the full size 300 but thanks to positive growth by both the Pentastar-powered 200 and Town & Country – the Chrysler brand still posted a 1% improvement.
Finally, the popular Fiat 500 saw a decline in sales in June but the introduction of the bigger 500L allowed the reborn Italian brand to also post a 1% increase compared to the same month in 2012.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
