Automakers report higher November sales in Canada

By Allison Lampert MONTREAL (Reuters) - Canadian auto sales for November jumped 4.7 percent and hit a new high for that month of 145,400 vehicles, automotive consultant Dennis DesRosiers wrote on Tuesday. "November had two fewer selling days this year than last year so the November record should be viewed as even better than the numbers indicate," DesRosiers wrote in a note to clients. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV , Honda Motor Co Ltd <7267.T> and General Motors Co said their sales of vehicles in Canada rose both for November, and for the first 11 months of 2015 from the same periods a year earlier. "These results represent our best November sales month since 1999 and our best (year-to-date) sales results in the 90-year history of the company," said Dave Buckingham, chief operating officer of Fiat Chrysler's FCA Canada Inc. Ford Motor Co said November sales rose 3.1 percent to 20,695 vehicles, but overall sales for the first 11 months of 2015 declined by 3.9 percent, compared with the same periods a year earlier. GM Canada said its Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac dealers delivered 21,812 vehicles in November 2015, up 13.2 percent compared with the same month in 2014. FCA Canada said its November sales rose 0.6 percent to 21,038 vehicles in November from the same month in 2014, driven largely by demand for its Jeep brand. Honda Canada Inc reported a record month of November on sales of 14,761 units by its Honda and Acura divisions combined, up 2.3 percent compared with the same month in 2014. The data came after Canadian vehicle sales beat expectations in October, with DesRosiers forecasting 2015 as a record year for auto sales. On Tuesday, automakers also reported higher U.S. auto sales in November on the strength of sport utility vehicles and marketing promotions. Industry sales were forecast rising above 18 million vehicles on an annualized basis for the month. In Canada, auto sales were 1.96 million vehicles on an annualized basis for the month, DesRosiers wrote, the highest on record for any November. (Reporting by Allison Lampert; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe, Bill Trott and David Gregorio)