text: “We had a terrific year in 
  
  North America; sales for 
  
  calendar year 2004 grew by 
  
  24.7 percent, and that 
  
  growth that came in a flat 
  
  U.S. market. The auto 
  
  industry here only rose by 
  
  about 237,000 vehicles, 
  
  while Nissan was up by 
  
  191,000 cars. It was a strong 
  
  J E D C O N N E L L Y 
  Senior Vice President 
  Nissan North America 
  year with a rich mix of 
  
  products. The Altima 
  
  continues to be a core car 
  
  for us, and our most important car in terms of volume. 
  
  We sell over 200,000 Altimas a year, at a rate of 
  
  20,000 units per month—outstanding for a car so far 
  
  along in its lifecycle. The Infiniti has also been 
  
  phenomenal over the past few years. The G35 sedan 
  
  and coupe continue to be the icons of the brand, 
  
  driving both volume and profit. 
  
  Our success always comes down to the product. 
  
  We had great products from top to bottom, 
  
  throughout the lineup and in both divisions. We were 
  
  also very intelligent, I believe, in the way we price our 
  
  vehicles—very close to the transaction price, and with 
  
  limited reliance on incentives. That’s been our 