DETROIT — The latest numbers on auto sales show that Chrysler needs to quickly figure out how to navigate the car market as deftly as it did bankruptcy court.
Ford’s Fusion midsize car outsold all eight Chrysler brand models combined in June. Chrysler’s two minivans, which for years dominated their market segment, were outsold by the Honda Odyssey.
Only one Chrysler model showed a sales increase over June of last year, the Dodge Challenger muscle car.
Chrysler emerged from bankruptcy protection after just 42 days on June 11, cleansed of much of its debt and labor costs. But with sales down 46 percent from the first half of last year — a year in which Chrysler lost $8 billion — the company faces a huge challenge to make money again under its new Italian owner, Fiat SpA.
Chrysler’s poor June performance also casts doubt on whether the U.S. government’s $7 billion allocation will be enough to get the automaker through the U.S. sales slump, which is projected to last into next year.
“In this business, you’re either going to succeed or fail with product,” said Joe Barker, senior manager of North American vehicle sales forecasting for the CSM Worldwide consulting firm in Northville, Mich. “Right now, Chrysler lacks a competitive product.”
For its part, Chrysler says it was happy with the sales figures. Spokeswoman Kathy Graham said Thursday that Chrysler gained 1 percentage point of market share in retail sales to individual buyers.
