TORONTO -

Though fleet and off-rental supply at auctions has been low during the years following the 2008 recession, the number is picking back up, which could bode well for the supply environment in the years to come.

Specifically, according to a DesRosiers Automotive Consultants analysis of data from R.L. Polk & Co., approximately 18 percent of new vehicles registered in Canada in 2012 were sold to fleets.

DesRosiers analysts explained that, “A certain portion of any vehicle OEM’s annual sales goes to fleet purchasers — a market that sometimes offers lucrative sales, but can also represent a low-margin dumping ground for hard-to-move products.”

Which brand had the highest proportion of these sales last year?

Chrysler and Dodge passenger cars topped the list, with approximately 44.3 percent and 49.6 percent of each brand’s respective passenger car sales accounted for by fleet registrations.

“Chrysler and Dodge cars are common fixtures on daily rental lots, and heavy fleet sales have been a notable element of the brands’ post-restructuring strategy as Chrysler’s passenger car line-up has struggled to match the roaring success of its Dodge truck and Jeep siblings,” the firm noted.

On the highline side, Volvo leads the industry in fleet penetration for luxury brands, with 39.6 percent of its 2012 sales accounted for by fleet registrations.

“Competing brands such as Jaguar (8.2 percent fleet), Audi (10.0 percent fleet) and BMW (11.1 percent) trail,” analysts added.

On the other hand, the industry’s most “fleet-free brands” in 2012 were Honda (3.2 percent fleet), Scion (3.8 percent fleet) and Mini (5.7 percent fleet).

“Whatever success these brands achieved in 2012 (and all three saw double-digit growth last year) was won largely through one-at-a-time sales to individual consumers,” officials said.

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