Every year, some cars reach the end of their production run. In the following year, the remaining units are sold. That’s normal. Sometimes, you may even see discontinued vehicles being sold two years after their production has ceased, simply because some dealers still have units in stock.
Stellantis sold six Dodge Darts in the last three months.
The company also sold eight Dodge Caravans and 13 Dodge Journeys.
The manufacturer sold 71 Chrysler 300s, a model discontinued at the end of 2023.
However, when we see a model that hasn’t been on the market for three years appear in the current year’s sales results, it raises questions. When that model disappeared six years ago, there’s cause for concern.
Except when it comes to Stellantis. This manufacturer is known for the late sales of some of its models. Consider the Viper sports car, which for years remained in the sales charts, with one or two units sold per year.
Hell, there may still be one hidden somewhere in the backyard of a dealer lot in North America.
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Dodge Dart
However, the surprise was quite different at the end of last week when we learned that six Dodge Darts (yes, six) had been sold in the third quarter of this year, covering the months of July, August, and September. That’s five more than in the same period in 2024.
The Dodge Dart was discontinued at the end of 2016, after a brief return to the market (2013-2016).
No, the model was not a big hit. In fact, from the moment it was launched, sales were expected to be difficult due to its high price, but above all because of its lackluster performance and mechanical combinations that were hardly reassuring.
We do not know if the models sold came from a single dealership. That would be surprising, as it would mean that a dealer deliberately decided to keep specific models. It is more likely that the units sold came from all over the United States.
Other orphan models
Other models that could be described as orphans were sold during the third quarter of the year. Stellantis’ sales results show that eight Dodge Caravans and thirteen Dodge Journeys found buyers. The Fiat brand also recorded two sales of the small 500L SUV.
These three models have been off the market since the end of 2020.
Other surprises, albeit slightly less significant, included 71 Chrysler 300s on the list, as well as 31 Fiat 500Xs, models that were let go after 2023.
Final thoughts
The sale of models that are no longer on the market is not uncommon, but as mentioned above, this usually concerns products that have been discontinued within the last two years.
At Stellantis, this is not unusual. What is more worrying is that in several cases, it is because the model was no longer of interest to anyone that it remained unsold.
It is symptomatic of a more serious problem.
Regarding the Dodge Darts sold, it would have been interesting to know what kind of deals the new buyers got.
