While overall sales for the automotive industry were down in November, Honda, Toyota and Nissan continued to fare well, especially on the Coasts where they are the preferred brands.
American Honda Motor Co., Nissan North America and Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc., all based in L.A. County, each broke November sales records as domestic automakers posted disappointing results.
Jesse Toprak, director of pricing and market analysis at Edmunds.com, said the strength of the Japan-based automakers came despite big incentives from the domestics.
Ford’s incentives averaged $3,141, Toprak said. By contrast, Honda and Toyota, both based in Torrance, offer some of the lowest incentives in the industry, with $475 per car for Honda and $532 for Toyota. “It proves if you come up with the right product at the right price, it will sell itself,” said Toprak.
American Honda reported best-ever November sales for its luxury Acura division, with 15,532 cars and light trucks sold, up 12.2 percent over year-ago results. November sales records were also set for the redesigned RL sedan, the TL sedan and the MDX luxury sport utility vehicle.
Toyota also had its best November, with sales increasing 8.8 percent to 154,272 vehicles. Its Toyota division bested previous Novembers, with sales up 9.8 from last year. Vehicles that surpassed previous records for the month include the Corolla, the Prius gas-electric hybrid and the Highlander mid-size SUV. Scion also had its best November not surprising given that this was the first year its vehicles were sold nationally.
Nissan North America, based in Gardena, had its best November, with a 31 percent increase in sales to 80,376 units. Its Nissan and Infiniti divisions also bested previous results for the month. Nissan-branded vehicle sales were up 29.8 percent, to 68,795 units, with sales for Altima and Murano surpassing previous Novembers and Armada experiencing its best month ever. Infiniti sales rose 38.2 percent to 11,581 units, with the G35 sedan and the FX faring better than ever for the month and the QX56 setting an all-time record for the model.
Janes Change
The historic Janes House may be about to get a dose of Southern hospitality.
Owner Adolfo Suaya has established a partnership with Bob and John Long (the duo behind The Central, Atlantic and The Roxbury) to convert the cottage, the last remaining residential-style Victorian on Hollywood Boulevard, into a Southern-style restaurant called Memphis.
Suaya bought Janes House, at 6541 Hollywood Blvd., and the adjacent Janes House Square strip mall last year. The strip mall houses businesses like French-Italian restaurant Les Voyous.
Suaya described Memphis as a mid-priced venue that is a cross between The Ivy and Houston’s. Among its offerings will be a raw bar and a menu including lobster, crab and ribs.
Built in 1903, Janes House became a school in 1911, educating the children of celebrities like Charlie Chaplin and Cecil B. DeMille. It closed in 1926 and fell into disrepair. When the last of the three Janes sisters died in 1982, it was restored and became the Visitors Information Center for Hollywood before being acquired by Suaya.
Metro Hollywood Additions
Plans are moving along more slowly than expected, but the mixed-use Metro complex at Hollywood Boulevard and Western Avenue has begun adding retail tenants.
U.S Bancorp is preparing to open a 3,000-square-foot branch on Feb.1 and Out of the Closet Thrift Stores, operated by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, opened a 4,000-square-foot store last month.
A Panda Express had been slated for the complex, but those plans fell through because the project lacked capacity for the ventilation system, said Dalila Sotelo, senior vice president at McCormack Baron Salazar, the developer of the $26.5 million housing and retail project.
The Community Redevelopment Agency has a master lease for a 1,000-square-foot space and is looking for a tenant to run a bike storage and repair center, Sotelo said. And the Assistance League of Southern California, a non-profit human services organization, is leasing 4,000 square feet for a daycare center that is expected to open mid- to late next year.
“We’re a little disappointed it didn’t rent up quickly,” said Sotelo of the retail side of the project. “One of the challenges was making sure people came in to provide a nice level of amenity.”
Construction was completed in April, and there is one 1,500-square-foot vacancy remaining in addition to the CRA space that is reserved for a bike tenant.
Staff reporter Rebecca Flass can be reached at (323) 549-5225, ext. 230, or at
[email protected].
