For Maryland's new car dealers, the 1995 model year has started off where the previous year ended -- on a roll.
Sales of new cars and trucks jumped 40.8 percent last month nTC compared with October 1993, according to registration figures compiled by the state Motor Vehicle Administration.
This was more than four times the 8.9 percent increase posted by dealers across the country.
Sales traditionally taper off in the fall as the weather begins to cool and consumers turn their attention to other things, but that didn't happen in Maryland last month. Dealers sold 32,763 new vehicles in October, compared with 23,260 in 1993. The October sales were higher than in July and August.
"I'm not surprised by the MVA numbers. We had a very good October," said John Sophocles, sales manager at Jerry's Chevrolet in Carney.
"One of the big changes in recent weeks is that we are seeing more impulsive buyers," said Mr. Sophocles. "In the past, it seemed as if all we saw were people who needed to buy because their old cars were wearing out. Now we are seeing people buying out of the want for a new car."
There is also an indication that some buyers are trading down to less expensive cars. Jeffrey Legum, head of Westminster Cadillac-Oldsmobile-Chevrolet, said his Oldsmobile sales more than doubled last month while Cadillac sales "were pretty much flat."
"People who bought Cadillacs in 1986 and '87 are experiencing sticker shock" when they seek to replace their cars with new models, he said. "They feel they can't afford another Cadillac and they are buying Oldsmobile 88 and 98 models. They can get a fully equipped Olds 98 for $24,000. That's about $9,000 less than a Cadillac."
The popularity of light trucks is also fueling the robust sales. Mr. Legum said truck sales account for about 65 percent of his business, up from 30 percent 10 years ago.
Paul Anecharico, sales manager at Bill Kidd's Toyota and Volvo in Timonium, listed the popularity of leasing as another factor in the sales boom. He said leasing, which can lower a motorist's monthly car expenses, account for about 30 percent of the dealership's business.
(In a leasing arrangement, the manufacturer buys the car back from the dealer and leases it to the customer, so the transaction is recorded as a sale by the MVA.)
The good times are not limited to Baltimore-area dealers. Dennis Fields, sales manager at Shaffer Ford Inc. in Cumberland, said sales skyrocketed last month. "This is a so-called depressed area," he said, "But we're having our best year in 20 years.
The average price of a new vehicle sold in the state last month was $18,724. This was slightly more than $1,200 above the average new vehicle price last year.
Maryland used-car sales were up 12 percent last month, compared with the same period last year. Dealers sold 43,337 used vehicles at an average price of $5,451, compared with 38,691 at an average price of $4,574 in October 1993.