The Chrysler Group led the American auto industry in sales growth in February 2012 compared to the same month one year ago and while the Chrysler brand played a major role with an improvement of 115%, the Dodge and Ram brands both showed strong growth of their own – with both of these brands having their best February since 2008.
The Dodge brand showed a growth of 27% while moving 42,692 new
vehicles. The top models from Dodge in terms of growth were the Charger
(up 124%) and the Avenger (+89%), with these same two popular sellers
ranking second and third among Dodge models in terms of sales volume
with 7,324 Chargers and 6,570 Avengers sold. The Dodge Caravan lineup
was the top model in terms of sales volume with 12,668 minivans sold
last month (+20%). The Dodge Challenger had showed a growth of 14% from
the same month in 2011 – making for the best February in the history of
the modern Challenger.
The Ram Truck brand had a 15% increase of its own in February 2012 while
selling 23,282 vehicles – 22,595 of which were from the Ram Pickup
lineup. The Ram Pickup showed a growth of 21% last month, making the
22nd consecutive month where a year over year improvement has been
posted. While Ram brand sales have slumped a bit since the demise of
the Dakota, the new Ram C/V moved 548 units last month as the new
workhorse minivan begins to hit markets around the country.
The Dodge brand should soon benefit from the introduction of the new
Dodge Dart – which is entering a segment comprised of some of the most
popular models in the US market like the Ford Focus and the Chevy
Cruze. If the Dart can make a real impact in the C segment, Dodge will
have a heavy hitter in one of the most important segments where it has
been absent since killing off the Neon in the early 2000s.
"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.
