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, GM vice president, U.S. Sales. "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 fifth 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):
May 2009 Dec 2009 % Reduction
-------- -------- -----------
Pontiac 70,876 796 99%
Saturn 32,647 916 97%
Saab 4,579 1,235 73%
HUMMER 4,039 2,176 46%
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