Of us, we’re formally into the ultimate quarter of the ultimate 12 months for this epic pony automotive gross sales warfare and it is shaping as much as be a nail-biter. The Dodge Challenger and Chevrolet Camaro will drive off into the sundown in 2024, leaving the Ford Mustang because the winner of Detroit’s muscle automotive scene by default. However earlier than that occurs, we have now a neck-and-neck road combat to assert the 2023 gross sales crown.
We aren’t exaggerating on that. With third-quarter 2023 gross sales accessible from Ford, Dodge, and Chevrolet, we see the Mustang and Challenger are just about tied by means of September. Proper now, Dodge holds the lead with 35,350 Challenger gross sales. The Ford Mustang has discovered 35,315 houses to this point. The distinction between them is simply 35 vehicles. Heck, by the point this text publishes, Ford might be in entrance.
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We aren’t exaggerating on that, both. In its Q3 gross sales announcement, Ford said that Mustang gross sales had been up 90 p.c in September. That is the primary full month of gross sales for the seventh-generation mannequin, and it appears the automotive is certainly fairly common. In keeping with Ford, 2024 Mustangs promote inside six days of arriving at dealerships. Of the 9,884 Mustang gross sales listed for the three-month quarter, properly over half – 6,575 to be actual – got here in September. In easy phrases, Mustang is poised to shut out the 12 months robust.
And Ford will want such energy to reclaim America’s best-selling pony automotive title from Dodge. Regardless of a powerful September, Mustang gross sales are nonetheless down 3.5 p.c from final 12 months, and lest we neglect, 2022 was Mustang’s worst gross sales 12 months in its historical past. The one motive the 2023 gross sales race is so shut is as a result of Challenger gross sales are additionally down. It dropped 33 p.c in comparison with Q3 2022, and the large muscle machine is down 16 p.c for the 12 months. And this would be the remaining 12 months for the Challenger as we all know it. A brand new mannequin is coming although not within the fast future. Will it shut out its very lengthy manufacturing run on prime?
The Chevrolet Camaro will not, and albeit, that is a tragedy. As we ramble on in regards to the Mustang and Challenger, Camaro is the one Detroit pony automotive having a optimistic gross sales 12 months. Q3 gross sales totaled 7,351 models, a drop of seven.2 p.c. However, Camaro gross sales are up a powerful 28.7 p.c for the 12 months. Sadly, that also solely means 24,688 bow tie gross sales, which is a stark reminder of simply how unhealthy 2022 was for the Chevy followers.
And just like the Challenger, 2024 can even see the Camaro retired. Chevrolet has mentioned it would return, however whereas we at the least have some thought of the Challenger’s future, there is no telling when or how the Camaro will come again.
With three months left within the gross sales 12 months, you’ll be able to wager executives in any respect three Detroit manufacturers might be watching the gross sales figures carefully. As for the remainder of us, take all of it in and savor the second. If the Mustang-Challenger-Camaro battle does return sooner or later sooner or later, it will not be a showdown of two-door V8 coupes from Motown.
