Industry on target for Third-Best All-Time Sales
FOR RELEASE: September 4, 2001 GM Truck Sales Continue Momentum: SUVs on Industry Record Pace
DETROIT -- General Motors dealers sold 403,258 new cars and trucks in August in the United States, a 7 percent decline from August 2000. Industry sales moderated in August but are on track for the third-best sales year.
"We are very pleased that GM's leading lineup of truck brands continued to pace the industry, especially our midsize and full-size utilities and full-size pickups," said Bill Lovejoy, group vice president of North America Vehicle Sales, Service and Marketing. "Despite an extremely competitive market, GM's share continued to stabilize and we have made good progress in improving our product mix, managing our fleet volumes, reducing our total inventory and moving out our 2001 models."
GM Sales Highlights
GM and its dealers continued to have robust truck sales in August led by midsize utilities, full-size utilities and full-size pickups. The strongest results in August came once again from sport utility vehicle (SUV) sales, keeping GM on pace to set an all-time industry SUV calendar year sales record. GM's full-size utilities (41,352) dominated the industry once again in August on the strength of Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon and Yukon XL as well as increased sales of the all-new Cadillac Escalade. GM's all-new midsize SUV lineup, the Chevrolet TrailBlazer, GMC Envoy and Oldsmobile Bravada and Buick Rendezvous continued to gain sales momentum. GM maintained its leadership in full-size pickups in August (76,586) and is on pace for the best year since 1978.
As new and innovative entries Buick Rendezvous, Chevrolet Avalanche and Cadillac Escalade increase in availability, GM expects its strong truck sales performance will continue in the second half.
| August Sales Records GM Trucks Chevrolet Trucks GM Utilities Chevrolet Utilities GMC Utilities GM Large Utilities Chevrolet Large Utilities GMC Large Utilities Chevrolet Tahoe GMC Yukon and Yukon XL Cadillac Escalade Chevrolet Impala Saab Saab 9-5 | CYTD Records GM Utilities GM Large Utilities Chevrolet Utilities GMC Utilities GM Small Utilities GM Mid-Utilities Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban GMC Yukon and Yukon XL Cadillac Escalade Chevrolet Tracker Chevrolet Impala Saab 9-5
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GM Announces August and 3rd- & 4th-Quarter 2001 Estimates
In August, GM produced 508,000 vehicles (236,000 cars and 272,000 trucks) in North America, down from 561,000 vehicles (295,000 cars and 266,000 trucks) produced in August 2000. (Production totals include joint venture production of 11,600 vehicles in August 2001 and 14,000 vehicles in August 2000.)
GM announced that the third-quarter production estimate will be largely unchanged from recent guidance at 1.232 million vehicles (569,000 cars and 663,000 trucks), up slightly from the prior estimate of 1.230 million vehicles (567,000 cars and 663,000 trucks). It is a 6.6 percent decline from the 1.319 million vehicles (689,000 cars and 630,000 trucks) GM produced in the third quarter of 2000.
Additionally, GM announced that the fourth-quarter production estimate will be 1.318 million vehicles (597,000 cars and 721,000 trucks), down 3.3 percent from 1.364 million vehicles (670,000 cars and 694,000 trucks) produced in the fourth quarter of 2000.
GM also announced the following production estimates for its international regions:
- GM Europe – The third-quarter estimate is 378,000, down from the previous estimate of 387,000 vehicles. The fourth-quarter estimate is 436,000, down from the 513,000 vehicles produced in the fourth quarter 2000.
- GM Asia Pacific – The third-quarter estimate is 75,000 vehicles, down from the previous estimate of 81,000. The fourth-quarter estimate is 84,000, up from the 47,000 produced in the fourth quarter 2000.
- GM Latin America, Africa and the Middle East – The third-quarter estimate is 146,000 vehicles, down from the previous estimate of 157,000. The fourth-quarter estimate is 154,000, up from the 135,000 vehicles produced in the fourth quarter 2000.
Note: GM sales and production results are available on GM Media Online at http://media.gm.com by clicking on the Sales/Production icon.
In this press release and related comments by General Motors management, our use of the words "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," forecast," "objective," "plan," "goal" and similar expressions is intended to identify forward looking statements. While these statements represent our current judgement on what the future may hold, and we believe these judgements are reasonable, actual results may differ materially due to numerous important factors that are described in GM's most recent report on SEC Form 10-K (at page II-20) which may be revised or supplemented in subsequent reports on SEC Forms 10-Q and 8-K. Such factors include, among others, the following: changes in economic conditions, currency exchange rates or political stability; shortages of fuel, labor strikes or work stoppages; market acceptance of the corporation's new products; significant changes in the competitive environment; changes in laws, regulations and tax rates; and, the ability of the corporation to achieve reductions in cost and employment levels to realize production efficiencies and implement capital expenditures at levels and times planned by management.
|
August |
Calendar Year-to-Date | |||||
|
Curr S/D: |
2001 |
2000 |
% Chg |
2001 |
2000 |
% Chg |
|
Vehicle Total |
403,258 |
435,597 |
-7.4 |
3,235,110 |
3,470,961 |
-6.8 |
|
Car Total |
190,366 |
237,055 |
-19.7 |
1,574,488 |
1,787,356 |
-11.9 |
|
Truck Total |
212,892 |
198,542 |
7.2 |
1,660,622 |
1,683,605 |
-1.4 |
|
Light Truck Total |
209,733 |
195,746 |
7.1 |
1,632,077 |
1,654,345 |
-1.3 |
|
Light Vehicle Total |
400,099 |
432,801 |
-7.6 |
3,206,565 |
3,441,701 |
-6.8 |
|
Market Division |
August |
Calendar Year-to-Date | ||||
|
2001 |
2000 |
% Chg |
2001 |
2000 |
% Chg | |
|
Buick |
46,764 |
42,715 |
9.5 |
263,809 |
284,773 |
-7.4 |
|
Cadillac |
13,772 |
16,816 |
-18.1 |
108,028 |
128,994 |
-16.3 |
|
Chevrolet |
208,902 |
222,994 |
-6.3 |
1,745,577 |
1,834,138 |
-4.8 |
|
GMC |
43,694 |
42,047 |
3.9 |
350,257 |
370,670 |
-5.5 |
|
Hummer |
48 |
53 |
-9.4 |
527 |
649 |
-18.8 |
|
Oldsmobile |
19,205 |
22,577 |
-14.9 |
172,688 |
202,001 |
-14.5 |
|
Other - Isuzu |
1,559 |
0 |
***.* |
10,834 |
0 |
***.* |
|
Pontiac |
47,992 |
58,753 |
-18.3 |
375,618 |
429,617 |
-12.6 |
|
Saab |
4,223 |
3,753 |
12.5 |
24,339 |
25,133 |
-3.2 |
|
Saturn |
17,099 |
25,889 |
-34.0 |
183,433 |
194,986 |
-5.9 |
|
Sales of Domestically Produced Vehicles | ||||||
Car |
185,361 |
232,007 |
-20.1 |
1,541,919 |
1,749,743 |
-11.9 |
Light Truck |
209,733 |
195,746 |
7.1 |
1,632,077 |
1,654,345 |
-1.3 |
|
Twenty-seven selling days for the August period this year and twenty-seven for last year. | ||||||