Originally Posted by TivoBuddy
I think the confusion is what makes up a "sale" in the figures quoted in the press release. A customer like you or I doesn't buy a Crossfire from DaimlerChrysler, only a dealer does. The way I understand it, an "order" by a customer is actually a "sale" between a dealer and manufacturer.
For example, if on May 1, I went to a dealer and ordered a Crossfire Roadster with a $100 down payment, that's really just an order to me. I haven't "purchased" the vehicle. But when the dealer orders that vehicle from DaimlerChrysler, I believe that is considered a "sale" to the two of them. If I take delivery of my vehicle on June 1, my "sale" would be reflected in the reported May sales of the vehicle, not June sales. I'm invisible to DaimlerChrysler as a "sale" because my transaction is with a private dealer, not the manufacturer. DaimlerChrysler can only report sales to dealers, not to consumers.
but if that were the case all 04 Crossfires would have already been reported as sold since the remaining inventory is sitting in dealer lots. i'm relatively sure that vehicle sales in the u.s. are reported when the dealer, as the manufacturer's agent, completes a sale (or lease) to the end-user. this results in either a retail sale (to an individual) or a fleet sale (to a rental car company or other commerical entity).