VW Brand Global Model Production : 2023

VW has a broad range of vehicles, many China specific. Total production was up 1% compared to +5% a year earlier. There has been a push with electric models but while they have done reasonably well, they have performed below company expectation. This is an issue manufacturers face and doesn't make planning easy. 

The Tiguan is the model that leads in terms of volume with 633,000 manufactured. Others are pared together by VW but none of them can outperform it anyway. 

Data source: VW Group.

Regional deliveries: The Asia/Pacific region was much the same as last year but remains by far the dominant area with 53% of the total. All other regions grew quite well but still couldn't reach 50% even when combined.

Audi Model Production : 2023

Audi production increased 15% in 2023. Most of the models increased and the breakdown of models is as below. Not many manufacturers are as open with data like this, something I don't understand. 

For 2023, the Q5 was the leading model in terms of production volume (334,500), followed by the A6 (257,100), A3 (246,300), A4 (237,800) and Q3 (233,500). The Q4 is pictured above and the Q8 enjoying the scenery below. 

Data source: VW Group. 

Regional Deliveries: These include Bentley and Lamborghini. Europe/Other closed in on China as the main region for sales. North America is some way back and South America came in at 15,500. 

Bentley/Lamborghini Model Production : 2023

Production hit an all time peak in 2022 but for 2023 Bentley didn't replicate that. They were down 21% to 12,941 but historically the 2023 figure would be a good one for a full year. The Bentayga SUV (pictured below) leads the way as expected with 43% of the total but all three models contribute well. The Flying Spur is shown above. I wonder what is Bentley's level is in terms of volume. 2024 should be a good indicator.

Lamborghini:

It dropped 100 units in 2023. with production reducing 20% from +19% to -1%. The Urus SUV is the main contributor at 60% of the total. The Revuelto V12 hybrid (pic below) replaces the Aventador with a loss in volume due to the changeover. 

Ford Mustang Yearly Production Numbers (1964-)

The Ford Mustang is an icon of the automotive industry, well in the USA anyway. Most of them were sold there after all. It created the 'pony car', an affordable compact muscle sports car. 

Sales took off and a star was born. Many Mustang buyers graduated onto other Ford models so it had that additional benefit as well.

Unfortunately, subsequent models got bigger and heavier - as car executives cannot resist doing - and the Mustang production slipped slowly but inexorably down. New models gave the Mustang a pep but each time a little less so. Still, it was worth the continuation.

Its main competitor was the Chevrolet Camaro, which did well but couldn't quite match the Mustang for sales. Both have sold well, so the muscle car is a popular model even if not as much today as times past. To see the Chev Camaro production history, just click here.

Below the colours are for each series, six so far. The decade figure defines the end of such in a '0' year. Each period has seen a reduction in production volume. Exports have included right hand drive recently and I see them around the roads in New Zealand, where the Mustang is proving popular.

Gen Seven:

The 7th generation arrived in 2023 but I'm unsure what percentage of production volume it made up for the year. The new model started in May of 2023 I believe. With numbers down on the 2022 year, there are two possibilities. 

One is there was a production halt between models affecting annual output. The other is it took a while to ramp up the new model and the majority of the volume remained from the sixth generation.

I think it's more likely the former so I have credited the new car with 2023. We could also expect to see a stronger 2024 figure when a full year's production is applied.

Last updated 29.03.2024. 

Chevrolet Camaro Yearly Production Numbers (1967-2023)

The Chev Camaro started life in 1967 as an answer to the Ford Mustang, which was hugely popular. The Camaro was a success and still is today but it never quite knocked the Mustang of its perch. Considering that GM nearly always outperformed Ford in volume, this was not something the General was used to. (Mustang data can be viewed by clicking here).

The Mustang has been in constant production and averaged 184,000 units, the Camaro wasn't manufactured between 2003 and 2008 inclusive. Even so, for all the years it was made, the average was 128,700. That's impressive in its own right, if you don't compare it with the Mustang (like I just did).

There have been six generations of the Camaro, made for North America with a few finding homes elsewhere. They are soon to be sold in Australia and NZ with RHD conversions done by HSV. The numbers won't be huge but it shows that there is demand for muscle cars. The Mustang is already a strong selling model in these parts, helping make a business case for this initiative.

The figures below are from more than one source and I found these were not usually consistent. So they should be taken as reasonably accurate and hopefully, the swings and roundabouts effect evens out those differences.

Each series is coloured, with a gap for when there was no production. When one model changed over to another, that generally isn't shown here. As the Camaro was made in both the USA and Canada, that was when the change of generations became evident. 

The last Camaro rolled off the line at the end of 2023 and although GM plans to resurrect the name in the future, no timeframe has been stated. In all likelihood, they don't know at this stage either.

Picture source: Netcarshow. Last updated 7.04.234

Audi Group Factory Production : 2023

Audi has sixteen plants with seven in Europe, six in China and three elsewhere. The two main ones are Changchun (in the northwest of China, just above Korea) and Ingolstadt (picture above, in Bavaria, north of Munich and its hometown so to speak). Another two plants make Bentley cars, Crewe (northwest England, Cheshire) and Lamborghini cars in Sant'Agata (Bologna, northern Italy). 

Total production for 2023 was nearly 1.94 million units, up 14.5%. Virtually all of that is Audi, of course. The lower picture is from the plant in Brussels, Belgium. 

Data source: Audi.

Ferrari Regional Sales : 2020-23

Ferrari doesn't release sales by model but it does by region. The total was up 3.3% to 13,663 deliveries. I'm not sure what the ceiling is for this exclusive sports car. Maintaining a balance of supply and demand is important to protect residual values.

The largest is the 'Europe, Middle East and Africa' region with 6,063 deliveries or 44% of the total in 2023. The Americas is next with 3,811 and 28%. China and Taiwan had just under 1,500 sales and 11%. The Rest accounted for 2,300 / 17%. 

UK Brand Passenger Car Production : 2023

Pessimism could have been the expected emotion as Honda (2021) and Opel/Vauxhall (2022) ceased passenger car manufacturing in the UK. However, an improved supply of semiconductors has more than compensated as the figures show. They are rounded with a few estimates. 

Nissan: Production was up 36% and accounted for 36% of the total as well. The Qashqai made up 200,000 units, the Juke 100,000 and the Leaf 25,000. 

Land Rover: The Range Rover and Range Rover Sport were the main contributors with about 130,000 made in total. The Evoque and Velar combined 60,000 and the balance was the Discovery Sport. All up, 23% of the total.

MINI: The hatch/cabrio and Clubman are made at Oxford with the former the main contributor but I don't have a mix breakdown. 1 in 5 of the total manufactured. 

Toyota: It makes just one model, the Corolla. The Suzuki Swace is basically the same car and I estimated how many were made. They were then taken away from the Toyota figure. A 'could do better' 13% of all cars made in the UK.

Jaguar: About 75% of production is the F-Pace. The balance is F-Type, XF and XE in that order. Jaguar hasn't been handled well by JLR but its eventual move to luxury car territory is where the marque is being taken. 

The rest: Bentley dropped a bit, Mclaren up a bit and Lotus went into warp mode with the Emira. Otherwise, it was steady as she goes.

Liechtenstein Top 50 Models : 2023

The numbers are tiny but they tell a story so here they are. With Japanese brands not that popular, it is surprising that one makes the top of the list, albeit with a reduction in registrations. European marques are dominant. 

Poland Passenger Car Sales : 2023

Registrations were up 13% for the year. Toyota's share is the highest it has ever been and easily so. Škoda surrendered its lead back in 2020 and the gap has quickly become a substantial one. Audi has also achieved its best share ever as it pushes its volume in Europe. 

Slovenia Top 50 Passenger Cars : 2023

The Renault Clio is made here and supported well but that didn't stop it from being usurped by the Škoda Octavia in 2022. The Clio is still in touch but if it ever aspires to wrest back the top spot, it has work to do. VW may have become the top brand but Renault still holds two spots above it in the top five on the model sales chart. 

Oh, in case you are wondering the words on the Clio picture say 'immediate delivery'. Hot from the factory too.