GM March 2013 Sales Up 6%, 245,950 Units Sold

[FenwickHockey65]

GM Reports Best March Sales in Five Years
Cadillac sales up almost 50 percent on new models
General Motors

April 2, 2013

DETROIT – General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) sold 245,950 vehicles in the United States in March, up 6 percent compared with a year ago. Retail sales increased 4 percent, fleet sales were up 12 percent and the fleet mix was 27 percent of total sales.

“GM delivered its best March sales in five years thanks to a strengthening economy and new products, and we are expecting our third consecutive increase in market share versus last year ,” said Kurt McNeil, vice president of U.S. sales operations. “Sales of smaller cars have been robust for some time. Trucks have improved in lockstep with the housing market and the strength of the crossover market signals that America’s families are more confident about their financial health.”

March Highlights (vs. 2012)

• Cadillac was up almost 50 percent; Buick was up 37 percent; GMC was up 12 percent; and Chevrolet sales were essentially equal to a year ago.
• Crossovers were up 31 percent; trucks, which include pickups, vans and SUVs, were up 2 percent; car sales were down 3 percent; large pickup sales were up 6 percent.
• Small business sales, which are included in retail sales, were up 32 percent to almost 15,000 deliveries, aided by a stronger housing market.
• Sales of GM’s redesigned mid-size crossovers were up 62 percent. The Chevrolet Traverse was up 54 percent; the GMC Acadia was up 77 percent, and the Buick Enclave was up 55 percent for its best-ever March sales.
• The all-new Cadillac ATS had its best sales month yet with deliveries of 3,587 units.
• In its second full month, the all-new Buick Encore had sales of more than 3,000 units, driving a 19 percent increase in GM small and compact crossover sales.

First Quarter Highlights (vs. 2012)

• GM sales were up 9 percent: retail sales were up 10 percent; fleet sales were up 6 percent, and fleet mix was 26 percent of total sales.
• Cadillac was up 38 percent; Buick was up 28 percent; GMC was up 14 percent, and Chevrolet was up 5 percent.
• Crossovers were up 25 percent; trucks were up 10 percent and cars were up slightly.
• Large pickup trucks were up 21 percent, and combined m ini, small and compact cars were up 14 percent.

[FenwickHockey65]

The competition:

Ford Motor Company: Up 5.7%, 236,160 units sold
Toyota: Up 1%, 205,342 units sold
Chrysler Group LLC: Up 5%, 171,606 units sold
Nissan: Up 1%, 137,726 units sold

[CamaroSkooter]

Sounds like March 2012 was a bad month for everyone...

[TheCaptain]

Is this GM NA? or GM U.S.?

[FenwickHockey65]

GM US.

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by CamaroSkooter

Sounds like March 2012 was a bad month for everyone...

Not really. Last year just about all of the big players posted increases of between 10 and 35%. The only 2 that didn't were Ford (+5) and Honda (-5)

[CamaroSkooter]

So then was March 2011 a REALLY bad month?

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by CamaroSkooter

So then was March 2011 a REALLY bad month?

We could keep going but I think the bad years you are looking for are 2008 and 2009. Thats when the ... stuff ... really hit the fan. Since then its been fairly steady growth. In the end, it all depends on what you consider to be 'good'. If 'good' is substantially better than last year, just about everything since late 2009 has (for the biggies) been good. But if its a SAAR of 16M+, the US hasn't had a good year since 2007.

[LStick]

"trucks, which include pickups, vans and SUVs, were up 2 percent; car sales were down 3 percent"

Probably the stat with the most impact. I'm in the market for a new truck. GM's incentives are 2-3x what the other major brands are.

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by LStick

"trucks, which include pickups, vans and SUVs, were up 2 percent; car sales were down 3 percent"

Probably the stat with the most impact. I'm in the market for a new truck. GM's incentives are 2-3x what the other major brands are.

Thats what happens when a new model is on the way. Incentives on the current trucks are going to go up even further when the 2014 Silverados & Sierras start hitting the lots.

[The_Blur]

It is really good to see such growth with the crossovers. Those stand out to me because it indicates that GM doesn't need a minivan to beat everyone else's family vehicle.