GM Reports 260,922 Deliveries in April 2008
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DETROIT May 1, 2008; 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."
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. , 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.