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2015, Challenger sales skyrocket

12K views 91 replies 40 participants last post by  radioguy1 
#1 ·
Dodge has hit another home run with the Challenger brand. Sales figures for January 2015 were up 87% from last year, producing 4,592 sales in January 2015 in comparison to 2,458 in January 2014. With the exception of the ProMaster and Cargo vans (of which just began production early last year), no other Chrysler/Fiat model topped the Challenger’s sales success in the month of January. As we conclude the month of February, I expect the success to continue, driven possibly higher by the momentum of B5 Blue and Shaker sales. In my opinion, the success is owed to the following:


-Redesigned interior and exterior
-Introduction of the Scat Pack model, allowing customers to obtain the 485 hp SRT Hemi engine without the expense of the additional features included in the SRT 392 model.
-Introduction of Sublime green, fulfilling customer demand stemming to 2008
-Re-introduction of B5 blue
-Re-introduction of the Shaker model
-Introduction of the Hellcat. Though the sales figures will be much lower than other Challenger models, the Hellcat’s media and showroom attention will ultimately lead to increased showroom traffic and sales of all models.


While Challenger sales normally lag those of its rivals (the Camaro and Mustang) this year might be a game changer for Challengers sales ranking. It’s evident Dodge listens to its customer core, bringing to market a product designed and propelled by nostalgia and customer demand. Now, if only Dodge would offer more high impact colors on a regular basis…


The floor is now yours for comments and discussion.

Reference:
FCA US LLC Reports January 2015 U.S. Sales Increased 14 Percent; Best... -- AUBURN HILLS,*Mich., Feb. 3, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --
 
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#2 ·
Just as I predicted...... The Hellcat has just peaked the interest of most in the car community. Even if folks can't afford one they want one. And those that can afford a Hellcat/Challenger will find a way to get one. This doesn't suprise me at all. Good for Dodge............ :5:



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#3 ·
A lot of folks don't like hearing that the Challenger is selling well, due to wanting their car to be "rare". I for one love it, more Challengers means more sales for the aftermarket, and more growth options for mods.
 
#5 ·
The redesigned interior and exterior enhancements sold me on the 2015. In addition, no other car comes close from a nostalgia standpoint. The car is the best looking of all the muscle car brands IMO.
 
#13 · (Edited)
#9 ·
If I could make any recommendation to the company it would be that they make ALL interior choices available across ALL models. Couldn't understand why I can't have the black/pearl interior in a scat pack. Otherwise it's all good and I hope sales continue to be strong.
 
#10 ·
2 Words. Scat Pack. :guiness:
 
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#11 ·
in the 3 weeks I've had my sublime scat pack, I can't believe how many people have asked "is that the hellcat??" Dodge is making a splash, even non enthusiasts know about the top tier car in the challenger lineup, that's incredible. I know for one tho, on the VERY top of my list of reasons for buying a 15 instead of a 14 was interior. SO glad I waited.
 
#29 · (Edited)
^^This. I may not be a Mustang guy, but the 2015 Mustangs actually make me miss the 2011-14 versions. The styling just doesn't do it for a lot of people. The sales figures might be good, but I wouldn't be surprised if that's where some Challenger buyers are coming from.
 
#16 ·
Completely disagree...everybody wins when sales go up.

I live in a very Chrysler-Heavy town (the transmissions are made here). You literally cannot go anywhere here without seeing several Challengers...and I gotta say, it's NOT the end of the world to see them everywhere.
 
#19 · (Edited)
The engineering department at Dodge certainly placed the 2015 lineup right at the top of the pony car heap. What I'm wondering is how well the sales will hold up now that GM is about to release a refresh on the Camaro, right behind the Ford redesign.

Ford has already shown us that they are looking more towards a Euro feel but to me that's not an appealing look. Let's see if GM follows the same path.

The benefit to us is that with competition this intense among the big 3 in the pony car space, the products offered to the consumer are excellent.
 
#21 ·
I think the Challenger sales boost is a result of increased advertising, overall Dodge brand awareness and current product development.

The Challenger was relaunched in 2008 right before Chrysler went BK and therefore was a low priority budget-wise as the company rebuilt itself. Now that FCA is profitable via trucks, Jeeps & minivans, they can allocate more $$ to developing other vehicles in the portfolio.

FCA really capitalized on the Dodge 100 yr anniversary milestone, and it also helps that Tim Kiniskis is a "car guy" who owns a 70's Challenger. 2015 should be a very strong sales year with the current direction of Dodge.
 
#22 · (Edited)
Man...you guys can't wait for the Mustang to flop...unfortunately that doesn't appear to be happening:

2015 Ford Mustang Off to Fast Start at Dealerships | Edmunds.com

Ford sold 8,728 Mustangs in November, for an increase of 62 percent versus a year ago. The majority were 2015 models. The 2014 Mustang virtually sold out in October.
Personally...I love the new Mustang. Not as much as the new Challenger obviously, but still think it's a very well designed car. Both the Mustang and the Challenger make the Camaro just look sad and pathetic by comparison.
 
#24 ·
Man...you guys can't wait for the Mustang to flop...unfortunately that doesn't appear to be happening:

2015 Ford Mustang Off to Fast Start at Dealerships | Edmunds.com

Personally...I love the new Mustang. Not as much as the new Challenger obviously, but still think it's a very well designed car. Both the Mustang and the Challenger make the Camaro just look sad and pathetic by comparison.
A big contributor could be a combination of the refresh, low gas prices, and only a marginal economic improvement over the potential buyer demographic which includes, at least some, people who don't need a back seat and would look at a mustang or camaro. Just looking at it objectively. I do welcome the increased sales of the Challenger in any case.:thumbsup:
 
#23 ·
If you think there's interest in the challenger now, if Dodge keeps the classic look when they downsize it in the next version, all of those people that complained about the Challenger being to heavy and large, are going to come on board as well.
 
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#25 ·
I liked the new Scat Pack well enough to trade my 2014 Chevy SS on one. Back in the Mopar fold first time since my two R/T Magnums in 04-05. Kinda come full circle since my first new Mopar was a 1962 Fury (white) Max Wedge 413/425 and now 53 years later I have a bright white Scat Pack!!! You never really have to grow up!!
 
#30 · (Edited)
You all have made some great points here, specifically with advertising and fuel prices. Interestingly, with the hype of the Hellcat, the media has facilitated the vast majority of the Challenger's advertising--another win for Dodge. Furthermore, I would be interested to see the statistics of how many customers were drawn into dealerships respective to the presence of Sublime green (and the Hellcat) for 2015. Here in Anchorage, the Sublime Scat Pack sitting in the Dodge showroom is beacon, catching the eye of every commuter traveling the main highway in and out of the city.

Considerations for future Challenger success:

-More high impact colors on a regular basis
-Limited run of retro colors (such as FF4/GF3 light green metallic, EF8/GF7 dark green metallic, GK6 dark bronze metallic, and/or PHP Furious Fuchsia)
-Limited production T/A model
-0% financing

While I wouldn't expect each individual suggestion to make an appreciable gain in sales, cumulatively they could.
 
#31 ·
BUT, there is this SNAFU for the Hellcats, which is really upsetting some potential customers:

"However, a small number of dealers are engaging in a practice that is causing a customer relations issue for FCA US LLC and all of its dealers. Specifically, this handful of dealers appears to have accepted large numbers of SRT Hellcat orders without regard to available supply and without advising their customers that orders may not be filled, if at all, for many months or longer. We believe such a practice may constitute a breach of the Dealer’s Sales and Service Agreement with FCA US LLC and a violation of other applicable laws."

Avoiding Hellcat ordering disappointment | FCA Corporate Blog

and:
"Jim Arrigo, the current chairman of the National FCA Dealer Council, said that “any time you try to allocate through a shortage, it’s going to be difficult.” However, Arrigo said that an automaker’s allocation system is what it is, and dealers have to learn to live within it.
Arrigo said he has heard of some dealers taking deposits on Hellcats “just so that customer can’t go down the road and order the car from a competitor. I think that’s wrong. For somebody today to take 200 deposits or even 30 orders for that car, when they know that they’re not going to get that many, that’s just wrong.”
Arrigo, who owns five FCA dealerships in south Florida, said both the automaker and the dealers have to act with integrity through this process.
“This one car’s not going to make or break a dealer,” Arrigo said. “And to treat this vehicle without some kind of integrity, you have to ask yourself as a dealer if you want to go down that road.”


http://www.autonews.com/article/201...t-for-unscrupulous-hellcat-sales-practices-by
 
#33 ·
HeHe....funny. : )
 
#34 ·
I hope they'll make as many as they can. This last design will only run for 2 model years , then the big redesign. Regardless of how many they make, the last 2 years will be the most coveted cars to have in the future. Now, if they can keep this retro theme going and trim 400lbs from it and keep the 392 at 485hp, the '17 challenger may be something yet.
 
#39 ·
I bought my Challenger because of Ford engineers

Yes, the Challenger is a great car. I ordered my Shaker R/T B-5 blue and am anxiously awaiting delivery. I am buying this car, not only because it is a great car, but because Ford has left us old guys out in the cold. I ordered a 50th Anniversary Mustang last May and waited for months for it to arrive. It finally arrived on Dec 23. Even though I was getting it for sticker price, I walked away from it. Sure, it is a good looking car for you young guys, but the Ford and Mustang engineers forgot their past, unlike Dodge. I say all this after having nine, that is 9, I said NINE Mustangs in a row. When I see the 2015 Mustang on the road, I have no problem at whatsoever with my decision. IT looks like a crash between a Focus (in the front), a Camaro (in the rear fenders) and some kind of European car. Oh yes, that is it! Since they are now marketing the Mustang overseas, forget the great Americans who have been buying Mustangs for decades! Oh, well, no problem. I look forward to driving my grandkids in the back seat, which I couldn't do in the Mustang, and having more power, and having a safer car, and having more room in the ****pit, and looking like a real retro car.
 
#41 ·
It's great for Dodge/Chrysler to be selling so many Challengers now. On the other hand, I was drawn to the Challenger because it was a little different, a little out there, a little raw and definitely unique-----everything that appeals to me in a car.

Up until a year or so ago, on any given day you could see more Camaros and Mustangs than you could shake a stick at, yet you'd see maybe only one (1) Challenger every once in a while. Now they're becoming more common.

Yes, that's good for the brand, so congrats to FCA on really turning the corner, so to speak, and finally getting people to pay attention to this great muscle car. But people like me prefer to stand out rather than fit in, and I'm not so thrilled that Challenger is suddenly attracting so many.

Selfish? Damn right, I'm selfish. lol
 
#42 · (Edited)
Good points DJ and I agree with you. I pretty much bought my Challengers for the same reason......it was different,....damn cool. I like the Mustang but there's one on every corner. The Challenger still stands out although somewhat less than it did say five years ago. I've said it a million times I can't stand to have my car look like anyone else's. That's why I've modded mine to look like it does. I want it to stand out....in a good way. When I was looking to buy my first Challenger (an RT) I really really wanted a black one. I couldn't find a used one optioned the way I wanted it. But I did find a Hemi Orange RT that my then girlfriend just loved. She talked me into it. I made her my wife late last year. It was a good move. That car popped.

Now this is meant as a diss. I am seeing a lot more Challengers daily but 90% of them are one of three colors,......Black, White, Gray. Simple truth is if you want to stand out choose a color that stands out and do some striping and mods that make your car stand out. Look at bluert's car as a good example. His car just pops. And not just because of the color.

There's my 2 cents................ :5:


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#45 · (Edited)
Guess again everyone. These cars will be rare. Mustangs, Camero's and all autos from about 1995 up will be very hard and super expensive to restore. Think about sensors, computers, miles more with wiring, fasteners designed for a specific part that is different and only made to fit a specific item, complexity of brakes, transmissions, steering, radios with multi functions and so on.

Sure, restoring a 70's car has enough parts to cost a ton. But these and all modern cars will be many, many, times more costly to restore.

So, what's the future as I see it? Survivor cars will only be around. Cars that have been never driven much and the owner has been on top of everything as far as maintenance,
and care. I will be 95 years old 40 years from now so you youngsters out there will see that far down the road. I wish I could, but not possible!
 
#46 ·
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