GM DECEMBER 2009 SALES DOWN 6%, 160,996 UNITS SOLD

[FenwickHockey65]

Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac Post Sales Gains

• Retail Sales of Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac Up 13 Percent
• GM Retail Market Share Increased Two Share Points in Q4 vs. Q3
• U.S. Dealer Inventory Reaches 385,000 – Lowest Year-End Level on Record

Link to Press Release

January 5, 2010

DETROIT – 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).

[Mr. Wyndham]

Very positive! And thanks for posting!!

As always I trust you'll pop up the competition's results too, Fen.

[FenwickHockey65]

Originally Posted by Dragoneye

Very positive! And thanks for posting!!

As always I trust you'll pop up the competition's results too, Fen.

Actually, negative now.

Thanks to GM for burying the actual sales percentage decrease within the first paragraph.

[FenwickHockey65]

The competition...

General Motors Company: Down 6%, 160,996 units sold...Down 30% for 2009, 2,084,492 units sold
Toyota: Up 22.9%, 187,860 units sold...Down 20.2% for 2009, 1,770,149 units sold
Ford Motor Company: Up 33%, 179,017 units sold...Down 15% for 2009, 1.62 million units sold
Honda: Up 24%, 107,143 units sold...Down 19.5% for 2009, 1,150,784 units sold
Chrysler: Down 4%, 86,523 units sold...Down 36% for 2009, 931,402 units sold
Nissan: Up 18%, 73,404 units sold...Down 19% for 2009, 770,103 units sold
BMW: Up 9.2%, 21,626 units sold...Down 20.3% for 2009, 241,727 units sold

[Mr. Wyndham]

Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65

Actually, negative now.

Thanks to GM for burying the actual sales percentage decrease within the first paragraph.

Ugh....but wait a minute, that was 08 vs 09....I don't care about that.

Did they increase sales from last month, and is the month-to-month trend for the last half of '09 increasing? THAT's what really matters.

[FenwickHockey65]

Originally Posted by Dragoneye

Ugh....but wait a minute, that was 08 vs 09....I don't care about that.

Did they increase sales from last month, and is the month-to-month trend for the last half of '09 increasing? THAT's what really matters.

Yes, sales increased over last month.

[Mr. Wyndham]

Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65

Yes, sales increased over last month.

Back to being good news!

[FenwickHockey65]

Competition figures updated.

[Mr. Wyndham]

So, does GM get the "World's Largest" title back?

But then, those aren't World numbers, are they. Well, at least in the US.

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by Dragoneye

Ugh....but wait a minute, that was 08 vs 09....I don't care about that.

Did they increase sales from last month, and is the month-to-month trend for the last half of '09 increasing? THAT's what really matters.

in 2007 vs 2008 GM did better than most but it was only a couple percentage points. They are still considerably down relative to most of the competition 2007 vs 2009.

[Mr. Wyndham]

Originally Posted by DGthe3

in 2007 vs 2008 GM did better than most but it was only a couple percentage points. They are still considerably down relative to most of the competition 2007 vs 2009.

True, but like I said...I don't care about that. A LOT has happened in that time. Including the triple-whammy perfect storm, bankruptcy, shedding 4 brands and tens of thousands of employees...I'm looking at all of this as a new start, and so long as there is positive growth in that perspective, I'm happy.

I know that's not the way these things are reported...but I view it as the most relevant measure.