A bit of good sales news...

[Newbiewar]

perhaps this isnt good news, but its news that is better for GM then most the competition... i'll be seriously supprised if toyota loses their consecutive month after moneth improvements... the stock price also might have a shock if this is the truth...

link to article

DETROIT (AP) - Sales of new vehicles fell 8 percent overall during the first two weeks in February, but there was some indication General Motors Corp.'s new vehicles and lower prices are attracting buyers, an automotive data firm reported Tuesday.

Honda Motor Co. was the only manufacturer that saw its U.S. vehicle sales climb in the first 12 days of the month, up 4 percent from the same time a year ago, according to the Power Information Network, a division of J.D. Power and Associates.

Honda is benefiting from positive reviews of its revamped Civic as well as growing sales of its Ridgeline pickup, said Tom Libby, the Power Information Network's senior director of industry analysis.

Several automakers, including GM, Toyota Motor Corp. and Nissan Motor Co., saw their sales fall slightly but at a slower rate than the industry. GM and Toyota both saw 1 percent sales declines, while Nissan was down 7 percent. It was the first time GM has outperformed the industry since its employee discount incentive program ended last fall.

Last month, GM lowered sticker prices on three-quarters of its U.S. vehicles for an average decrease of $1,300 per vehicle. The move was intended to wean buyers from costly incentives.

At the same time, GM's revamped lineup of sport utility vehicles is hitting the market, starting with the 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe. Tahoe sales were up 53 percent in January over the year before.

"General Motors is showing signs of life," Libby said.

GM wasn't the only automaker pulling back on incentives. Forty-eight percent of new vehicle sales in early February included a rebate, down from half the year before. The average rebate amount fell 6 percent to $1,141.

DaimlerChrysler AG led the pack, with average rebates falling 20 percent, while GM's rebates fell by 15 percent. Ford Motor Co. and Nissan increased their rebates from the year before, the Power Information Network said.

Data were collected from 10,000 dealerships nationwide. The data do not include sales to government or corporate fleets, which inflated sales numbers in January.

Automakers are scheduled to release February sales results on March 1.

[wildcat]

Newbiewar, we'll take this as (very) good news! I like that statement, "General Motors is showing signs of life."

[Newbiewar]

Newbiewar, we'll take this as (very) good news!  I like that statement, "General Motors is showing signs of life."

well its never great news that people just arent buying as much... but... its good that GM is outperforming the industry.

but i guess this is what people call market share... Market Share increase is good on all accounts...

but market share isnt gm's problem right now, its capacity... so if market share hits 50% yet they sell less cars... they are still going to be lossing money

Edited February 22, 2006 by Newbiewar

[wildcat]

Well, at least it had somewhat of a bright spot for GM. It wasn't totally negative toward GM, like so many other stories. Thank you for sharing it. (And we'll all await the full monthly sales results at the end of February.)

Edited February 22, 2006 by wildcat

[turbo200]

Newbiewar, we'll take this as (very) good news!  I like that statement, "General Motors is showing signs of life."

big ditto.

[RJB]

Did the A.P. not get the memo of the production cutbacks on the Ridgeline, posted here on CheersandGears itself. Maybe they need to start coming here for their news! Good news for GM though.

[Matt276]

Those numbers include fleet sales? Anyway, this is a good news.

[nyscene911]

Did the A.P. not get the memo of the production cutbacks on the Ridgeline, posted here on CheersandGears itself. Maybe they need to start coming here for their news! Good news for GM though.

Ha! I was wondering the same thing!

[Chicagoland]

Last month, there were dire predictions of doom, then sales results were opposite. Wait for the real data, and then see.

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

Honda Motor Co. was the only manufacturer that saw its U.S. vehicle sales climb in the first 12 days of the month, up 4 percent from the same time a year ago, according to the Power Information Network, a division of J.D. Power and Associates.

This shows how POWERFUL the media jumping behind the Civic and Ridgeline has been. And reinforces the fact that the media is nothing more than goodwill advertising.

Honda is benefiting from positive reviews of its revamped Civic as well as growing sales of its Ridgeline pickup, said Tom Libby, the Power Information Network's senior director of industry analysis.

LMFAO..... I guess if I had read a little further, I wouldn't have had to type that last blip.... But, you get the point. Toyota's future has been sealed as number 1, so now it's time to jump behind Honda and go for number 2. Hell, after fainting last january, the media has HINTED and PERSUADED at consumers SO HARD this year in favor of the Ridgeline that a sales increase is TO BE EXPECTED. People are PROBABLY gettiung SICK of hearing the slurping and begging. LOL.

Too bad the media didn't get behind UGLY, useless trucks from GM like this. Then maybe the Aztek would've been TOTY and set new sales paces.

Several automakers, including GM, Toyota Motor Corp. and Nissan Motor Co., saw their sales fall slightly but at a slower rate than the industry.

Good news.

while Nissan was down 7 percent.

What in the world is that sound?!?! Oh wait, it's air streaming out of the Nissan revitalization. (Well, at least until the media turns to them and elevates them to number 3)

It was the first time GM has outperformed the industry since its employee discount incentive program ended last fall.

SWEET! [smart assed remark] Must be fleet sales [/smart assed remark]

But, I'm sure after the CR story gets widely known, the momentum will reverse itself.

"General Motors is showing signs of life," Libby said.

Not for long, trust me.

Start frying the crow fellows... For all those analysts.

GM wasn't the only automaker pulling back on incentives. Forty-eight percent of new vehicle sales in early February included a rebate, down from half the year before. The average rebate amount fell 6 percent to $1,141.

That's simple... Because GM was the only PROACTIVE force in the rebate race... They largely DICTATED the market in that everyone else assigned incentives to be REACTIVE to GM's deals. Therefore, less GM incentives=less "the other guys" incentives.

DaimlerChrysler AG led the pack, with average rebates falling 20 percent

Say what you will, but Chrysler is HOT!

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

Did the A.P. not get the memo of the production cutbacks on the Ridgeline, posted here on CheersandGears itself. Maybe they need to start coming here for their news! Good news for GM though.

It was probably swept under the rug with all the other negative import news...

This is just more PERSUADING and BEGGING.. lol

Last month, there were dire predictions of doom, then sales results were opposite. Wait for the real data, and then see.

That's a VERY good point. One that I'm assuming SOME of us know more about than others.

[VenSeattle]

Those numbers include fleet sales? Anyway, this is a good news.

Near the bottom of the article:

Data were collected from 10,000 dealerships nationwide. The data do not include sales to government or corporate fleets, which inflated sales numbers in January.

[Petra]

Very encouraging news, especially considering that the dead of winter is typically a slow time of the year for sales.

[Northstar]

Well, it's good that sales appear to be about on par with last year, and remember that the Suburban, Yukon, and Yukon XL are all probably suffering because the new ones aren't here yet.

It's also a great sign that GM CAN sell without huge rebates.

[I hope GMRULES again]

Sounds good, let's wait and see. With all the negative news about GM I find it hard to believe that their sales are not tanking. When you make the cover of Fortune magazine and they declare you dead meat, how many business people would read that article and then go out and buy GM?

[Newbiewar]

another article... haha... who to believe... stupid jurnalists

Link to Article

DETROIT (AP) - Despite a blizzard, February auto sales should be higher than last year thanks to heavy advertising, a blitz of new products and the continued strength of Asian automakers, industry analysts said Friday.

Several Wall Street analysts predicted U.S. sales will be up between 1 percent and 3 percent over last February when automakers report sales Wednesday.

General Motors Corp. could be among the biggest beneficiaries after piquing customers' interest with advertising during the Super Bowl and the Olympics, Goldman Sachs auto analyst Robert Barry said in a note to investors. GM is seeing healthy sales of its new cars, including the Buick Lucerne and Chevrolet HHR, Barry said.

Tim Ryan, a manager at Don Brown Chevrolet in St. Louis, said he is selling the HHR retro crossover as fast as he can get it onto his lot.

"That is a red-hot vehicle for everyone right now," Ryan said. He said the HHR's competitive pricing -- it starts below $16,000 -- is one reason it's selling so well. GM lowered prices on most of its vehicles in January, another move that's fueling customer interest, analysts said.

GM's new lineup of sport utility vehicles -- including the Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade -- also hit the market in February, which should give the automaker at least a short-term boost in sales, Merrill Lynch analyst John Murphy said in a research note.

"We believe that (GM's) new SUVs will be the litmus test showing whether or not consumer tastes have shifted away from large trucks," Murphy said. "Sales of the refreshed Ford Explorer did not do well last fall, but its launch unfortunately coincided with two hurricanes and record gas prices."

Most analysts predict Toyota and Honda will again see their sales increase by double-digit percentages. Honda, in particular, could see sales of its redesigned Civic up by 50 percent or more, and its Ridgeline pickup also is a strong seller, Murphy said.

Ford Motor Co. are DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group are likely to see lower sales in February despite signs they have spent more on incentives, Burnham Securities analyst David Healy said. Chrysler introduced zero-percent financing on trucks and SUVs, while Ford is offering cash back and special financing deals.

Ford and Chrysler's cars are selling well, but they can't make up for the losses they're experiencing on trucks and SUVs. Edmunds.com, a vehicle research site, said it expects Ford sales to fall 8 percent in February, while Chrysler's could be down 6 percent.

U.S. automakers surprised analysts in January by boosting their results with an influx of sales to government and corporate fleets. Fleet sales accounted for nearly 40 percent of sales at GM and Ford in January and an estimated 30 percent at Chrysler, Healy said.

Automakers generally try to limit fleet sales, which are less lucrative and can hurt a vehicle's resale value by flooding the market. But analysts said it's difficult to predict whether fleet sales could be a major factor again in February.

"Following the boom in January we don't expect another upside surprise from fleet in February," Murphy said. "However, it is largely up to a company's discretion when to push the fleet channel, so it retail is particularly weak for the Big Three, another push is possible."

GM shares were down 60 cents to close at $19.99 on the New York Stock Exchange. Ford share were down 7 cents to close at $8.10, while DaimlerChrysler shares were up 9 cents to close at $55.86.

[Dsuupr]

GM does have some hot products right now so it's not suprising, especially with the new SUVs hitting the market, that they'll improve this year over last.

Gas prices aren't as much of a worry, GM trucks are still strong (though dated), and they seem to have hit the small car market at the right time, though analysis will tell us otherwise.

Take note; the Cobalt, Solstice and HHR have been introduced right as gas prices raised. The SUVs have hit as gas prices have stabilized.

[corvettekidc6]

At least Tahoe sales are up 53 percent!

[haypops]

A salesperson over at saturnfans.com reports that his store's feb sales are up over 20 units for Feb already.