Ram sales are up in Colorado despite the COVID-19 crisis. Overall, truck registrations were down 11.3 percent, but it appears the Ram Cinderella story continues.
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The COVID-19 crisis has been brutal on vehicle sales but the 2020 Ram 1500 continues to make gains where other companies have suffered losses. The Colorado Automobile Dealers Association is out with its recap of new vehicle registrations for the first five months of 2020. Over all, vehicles sales are down 16.6 percent. Light trucks are down 11.3 percent, but Ram registrations are up 3.7 percent.
New vehicle registrations through May 2020 totaled 87,056 versus 104,265 new registrations in the same time period in 2019. Light trucks registrations are down 11.3 percent while car sales are off a whopping 34.8 percent. When you consider those numbers, the 2020 Ram 1500’s progress is remarkable.
Sales Have Been Difficult Across the Board
The numbers are disappointing but not surprising. CADA President Tim Jackson said, “The drop in Colorado’s new vehicle registrations through May, is not surprising since the industry suffered a triple whammy. First, everyone took a pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Second, our governor closed new car showrooms in Colorado for almost eight weeks. Dealers, however, found a way to deliver new cars and trucks remotely and sold online. Third, due to license office closures throughout the state, sales data has been delayed on actual reporting much beyond the typical 60 days. However, when those numbers catch up, we expect to see better results down the road.”
Ram was one of only three brands that had increases in registrations so far this year, in Colorado. Ram was up 3.7 percent, Kia increased 5.8 percent and Lincoln was up 11.2 percent.
Strong Ram Sales
It appears that Ram’s Cinderella story is continuing. Ram has been a key player for the Fiat Chrysler group. The Ram brand was the only FCA brand that saw its sales increase nationwide during the first quarter of the year. Ram pickup sales were up 7 percent nationwide during the first quarter. The 2020 Ram 1500 stunned the industry last year when Ram trucks outsold the Chevrolet Silverado, making it the second best-selling pickup in the U.S. The Ford F-Series is typically the best-selling pickup. Ram was determined to get its plants that produce the hot-selling pickups back up and running following the COVID-19 plant closures. The plants were forced to close for two months because of Coronavirus.
The Colorado Auto Dealers Association points out that registration numbers typically trail actual sales numbers by about two months. The lag in numbers could be especially bad this year because many Department of Transportation offices were closed during the pandemic. As those offices open up, numbers may be adjusted.
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