U.S. car maker wins 2025 sales race with 2.8 million vehicles sold

Core Insights - The U.S. automotive industry has experienced fluctuating car buying patterns in 2025, largely influenced by automotive tariffs that initially imposed a 25% burden on imports, which was later reduced to 15% for most trade partners [1][7] - Ford emerged as the top-selling brand in the U.S. during the first half of the year, with total sales in Q2 increasing at a rate seven times that of the overall auto industry, selling 1.1 million units, reflecting a 6.6% year-over-year increase [2] - General Motors (GM) is projected to retain the sales crown for 2025, with total sales exceeding 2.8 million vehicles, marking a 5.1% increase from the previous year and a market share of 17.3% [5][6] Industry Performance - The U.S. car industry is expected to finish the year with new vehicle sales around 15.9 million, a decline from last year's 16.8 million but an increase from November's 15.6 million [4] - GM's sales in the fourth quarter are forecasted to exceed 685,000 vehicles, representing an 8.7% year-over-year decline, yet it still secures the top position in sales for the year [6] - Toyota and Ford follow GM in sales, with Toyota selling 2.52 million vehicles (+8.4% year-over-year) and Ford selling 2.18 million vehicles (+5.6% year-over-year), capturing market shares of 15.5% and 13.4% respectively [5][6]