GM dealers in the United
States delivered 260,922 vehicles in April. Retail car and crossover
sales were up more than 9 percent. A sharp sales increase in fuel
efficient cars and crossovers could not make up for soft truck demand
and a sharp decline in fleet deliveries impacted by the American Axle
strike. On a non-adjusted basis, retail sales were down 11.5 percent
and total sales for the month were down 16 percent.
On an adjusted basis, total sales declined 22.7 percent.
Dealer
inventories were at their lowest level since September 2005 with about
824,000 vehicles in stock, down about 206,000 vehicles compared to last
April, and down more than 84,000 vehicles compared with December 2007.
"Consumer
preference is shifting and we're shifting with it as evidenced by our
strong car and crossover sales. Our new products such as the Chevrolet
Malibu, Cadillac CTS and Buick Enclave were hot throughout the month,"
said Mark LaNeve, vice president, GM North America Vehicle Sales,
Service and Marketing. "Throughout the industry, truck sales have been
soft. We've been able to match the current economic slowdown with
historically low total inventories, and as we look for ways to increase
car and crossover production, we are improving our competitive position
for the economic recovery."
Chevrolet
Malibu total sales were up 29 percent with retail sales up 147 percent,
Aveo sales were up 14 percent total and 13 percent retail, and Cobalt
sales were up 16 percent total and 17 percent retail. Pontiac Vibe
total sales were up 36 percent and retail sales were up 39 percent
compared with April 2007. Saturn Aura was up 19 percent total and 16
percent retail, and the Astra had its fourth consecutive month of
increasing sales with more than 900 vehicles sold. In the luxury car
segment, the award-winning Cadillac CTS saw total sales increase 8
percent with a strong retail increase of 12 percent.
GM's
popular crossover Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook together
accounted for nearly 13,000 retail vehicle sales in the month, an
increase of 7 percent compared with the same month last year. There
were more than 6,600 Acadia, 4,000 Enclave and 2,300 Outlook retail
sales. The Saturn Vue had a total sales increase of about 600 vehicles
compared with April 2007.
"Our
sales performance in mid-cars and crossovers shows the power of new
products to attract consumers - even in a tough market," LaNeve added.
"So as the mix shifts from trucks to cars, we're ready in our dealers'
showrooms with vehicles that provide industry-leading value, great fuel
economy and the best warranty coverage of any full-line automaker."
Certified Used Vehicles
April
2008 sales for all certified GM brands, including GM Certified Used
Vehicles, Cadillac Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles, Saturn Certified
Pre-Owned Vehicles, Saab Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles, and HUMMER
Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles, were 44,479 vehicles, up nearly 7 percent
from April 2007 results. Year-to-date sales are 168,087 vehicles, down
7 percent from the same period last year.
GM
Certified Used Vehicles, the industry's top-selling certified brand,
posted April sales of 38,861 vehicles, up 6 percent from last April.
Cadillac Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles sold 3,565 vehicles, up 27
percent. Saturn Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles sold 1,159 vehicles, down
21 percent. Saab Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles sold 727 vehicles, up 14
percent, and HUMMER Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles sold 167 vehicles, up
109 percent.
"Our
certified sales momentum continued in April, as GM Certified Used
Vehicles sales grew for the fourth consecutive month, a 6 percent
increase over last April's results," said LaNeve. "The Cadillac, Saab
and HUMMER Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles programs also generated robust
increases as consumers take advantage of the great value and
peace-of-mind assurances that come with the purchase of certified GM
vehicles."
GM North America Reports April 2008 Production, 2008 Second-Quarter Production Forecast Revised to 950,000 Vehicles
In
April, GM North America produced 242,000 vehicles (128,000 cars and
114,000 trucks). This is down 93,000 vehicles or 28 percent compared to
April 2007 when the region produced 335,000 vehicles (120,000 cars and
215,000 trucks). (Production totals include joint venture production of
22,000 vehicles in April 2008 and 16,000 vehicles in April 2007.)
Approximately
130,000 units of production have been lost in April due to the American
Axle work stoppage. Since the dispute began in late February,
approximately 230,000 units of production have been lost. GMNA has
revised its forecast for 2008 second-quarter production to 950,000
vehicles, down 130,000 units from the prior forecast to reflect April
production losses. Due to the current American Axle work stoppage,
there is considerable uncertainty with regard to the second quarter
production forecast.
Yesterday,
GM's annual total vehicle sales forecast for the industry was revised
to an expected mid-to-high 15 million vehicle SAAR. The previous
forecast provided in January of this year was in the low-16 million
unit range. The revision reflects actual industry sales rates for the
first four months of 2008 and the current assessment of the recovery of
the U.S. economy.
General
Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world's largest automaker, has been the
annual global industry sales leader for 77 years. Founded in 1908, GM
today employs about 266,000 people around the world. With global
headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 35
countries. In 2007, nearly 9.37 million GM cars and trucks were sold
globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC,
GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn, Vauxhall and
Wuling. GM's OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle
safety, security and information services. More information on GM can
be found at www.gm.com.