News United States

Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac Post Sales Gains

2010-01-05

Back

Print   |  Sales Charts   |  Add This   | 

DETROIT – GM dealers in the U.S. reported 160,996 retail deliveries in December – a 7 percent increase compared to last year, and a 50 percent increase over last month. Retail sales of Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac brands were 146,419 – up 13 percent for the month. In total, GM dealers in the U.S. delivered 208,511 vehicles in December. This represents a total sales decline of 6 percent from the previous year, driven primarily by declines in fleet sales (33 percent) and in sales of non-core brands (55 percent).

“The fact that our retail market share has increased two full points from the third to fourth quarters demonstrates that we are strengthening our brands,” said Susan Docherty, vice president, Sales, Service and Marketing. “We are delivering a healthier sales mix and earning consumer confidence through our launch vehicles such as Chevy Equinox and Camaro, Buick LaCrosse, GMC Terrain and Cadillac SRX.”

In 2009, GM dealers delivered 2,084,492 vehicles, down 30 percent compared with 2008. “The year-over-year comparison reflects a 38 percent reduction in fleet, reduced overall incentive spending and the orderly wind-down of the Pontiac and Saturn brands,” Docherty said. “Our sell-down of Pontiac and Saturn inventory is 10 months ahead of schedule and we only have about 1,700 vehicles left – 800 Pontiacs and 900 Saturns. This shows real progress in our action plans.”

Other December Key Facts:

• Retail sales of Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac brands were 13 percent higher than in 2008 –  achieved with 47 percent less inventory than last year
• Chevrolet retail sales were up 14 percent – driven by strong sales of Camaro (7,518 sales – segment leader for 7th straight month), Traverse (up 92 percent), Malibu (up 34 percent) and Equinox (up 137 percent)
• Buick retail sales were up 32 percent compared with a year ago on the continued strength of LaCrosse (up 370 percent) and Enclave (up 37 percent)
• GMC retail sales were up 4 percent vs. December 2008 on strong Acadia sales (up 49 percent) and Terrain (up 197 percent vs. the vehicle it replaced, Pontiac Torrent)
• Cadillac retail sales were up 7 percent, led by the 2010 SRX, with sales 357 percent higher than a year ago (4,880 vs. 1,069)
• December month-end dealer inventory of 385,000 – the lowest year-end level on record
• Total GM crossover retail sales were up 67 percent

“The year 2009 was a watershed year for us in many ways. From our dealer restructuring to our focus on Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC, we have made the difficult but necessary decisions to position our new company for success,” Docherty added. “We’re looking forward to 2010 as a year when the economy continues a modest recovery, industry sales begin to improve and our outstanding new products build additional sales momentum.”

“May the Best Car Win” Campaign – 60-Day Money Back Guarantee

GM's 60-day money-back guarantee and “May the Best Car Win” message demonstrated confidence in Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac and improved consumer consideration. 

“Americans have given our cars, crossovers and trucks a strong vote of confidence, and we take that very seriously,” Docherty said. “We’ve listened to those who’ve returned their vehicles to help us continue designing and building products our customers deserve.”

More than 419,000 vehicles have been sold during the campaign and results show that almost all customers chose to keep their vehicles. Just 310 customers have returned their vehicles – approximately 0.007 percent of all eligible vehicles sold.

Other Brands Sold 14,687 Total Vehicles in December

GM’s wind-down of non-core brands has been orderly and is now 10 months ahead of schedule. These brands represented 9 percent of retail sales in December, compared with 15 percent in May 2009. Inventories for the combined brands totaled 5,123 units at December month-end, representing a 95 percent decrease compared to the end of May 2009 (112,141 units).

Month-End Inventories of Non-Core Brands (May – Dec, 2009):

Management Discussion of December Sales Results

“Increasingly, we are seeing signs of a global economic recovery,” said Mike DiGiovanni, executive director, Global Market and Industry Analysis. “In the U.S., with firm used car prices, low interest rates and an improving economic outlook we expect industry sales to improve after a dismal 2009 performance.”

U.S. Economy

• Overall, economic leading indicators point to a continuing recovery in 2010, although risks remain.
• Job losses slowed significantly in November, and the unemployment rate dropped from 10.2% to 10%. However, this is still high by historical standards.
• Although consumer confidence improved in December to the second highest level in 2009, it is likely to stay tepid due to the high unemployment rate.
• Housing market is mixed. Although existing home sales are surging, new home sales and home prices have softened recently.
• Manufacturing sector continues to expand due to depleted inventory and better than expected holiday sales.

U. S. Auto Industry

• The U.S. December 2009 SAAR is estimated to be approximately the same as November – 11.0 to 11.2 million (total industry estimate) – resulting in total vehicle sales of 10.6 million for the entire 2009 CY, the lowest since 1982.
• Based on the strengthening U.S. economy, 2010 CY sales are projected to rise to between 11.0 to 12.0 million.

GM North America Production

GM U.S. Dealer Inventory

About General Motors:  General Motors, one of the world’s largest automakers, traces its roots back to 1908.  With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 209,000 people in every major region of the world and does business in some 140 countries.  GM and its strategic partners produce cars and trucks in 34 countries, and sell and service these vehicles through the following brands:  Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling.  GM’s largest national market is the United States, followed by China, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Canada, Russia and Germany.  GM’s OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services.  General Motors acquired operations from General Motors Corporation on July 10, 2009, and references to prior periods in this and other press materials refer to operations of the old General Motors Corporation.  More information on the new General Motors can be found at www.gm.com.

###