July 2010 Sales Ticker

[Drew Dowdell]

Chevrolet-Buick-GMC-Cadillac Sales Up 25 Percent in July

2010-08-03

• Steady progress in rebuilding sales one year after launch of new GM
• Calendar-year-to-date sales for GM's four brands up 31 percent
• Tenth month in a row that GM's four brands have increased retail and total sales
• Strong Buick and Cadillac sales show balance of GM brand portfolio

DETROIT – July sales for Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac increased by a combined 25 percent to 199,432 units. Buick and Cadillac brands each sold more than twice as many vehicles in July, compared with the same month a year ago.

July marks the 10th straight month in which total and retail sales for GM's brands increased year-over-year, demonstrating the continued strengthening of each brand in the marketplace as GM continues to rebuild momentum a year after its launch as a new company.

"When we say we want to design, build and sell the world's best vehicles, we're not talking about just one vehicle, one brand, or one month," said Don Johnson, vice president, U.S. Sales Operations. "Our July results again reflect that each of our brands has contributed significantly to our gains.

"The size and scope of the U.S. market demands a strong portfolio of well-targeted brands," Johnson said. "The success of Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac month in and month out, indicates that the new GM's brand strategy is sound."

Buick sold 16,799 vehicles in July, a 137-percent increase over last year. Cadillac delivered 14,919 units, up 142 percent over July last year. These are the highest sales totals for the two brands since August 2008. Chevrolet total sales in July increased 12 percent compared to July last year, and GMC total sales were up 27 percent compared with the same month last year.

GM's newest vehicles including Chevrolet Camaro and Equinox, Buick LaCrosse and Regal, GMC Terrain, and Cadillac SRX, CTS Coupe and CTS Wagon continue to contribute significant sales gains. Total combined sales for these vehicles were up 77 percent in July and are up 211 percent yeartodate.

GM further strengthened its position as the industry leader in crossover sales. Total combined sales in July for the Chevrolet Equinox, HHR and Traverse, Buick Enclave, GMC Terrain and Acadia, and Cadillac SRX increased 41 percent in July and have risen 73 percent so far this year.

Combined total sales for GM's full-size pickups, the Chevrolet Silverado and Avalanche, and the GMC Sierra, were up 22 percent during the month, with year-to-date sales 14 percent higher than a year ago.

Year-To-Date Gains Reflect Balanced Contribution of Brands

Year-to-date total sales for GM's four brands have risen 31 percent to 1,269,009 units, while retail sales for GM's brands have risen 18 percent – outpacing the industry.

"Our four brands have sold 125,210 more vehicles this year than our former company sold with eight brands during the same period last year," Johnson said. "This gain has been a result of solid consumer demand across our lineup of cars, trucks, and crossovers."

Chevrolet has led the increase with total sales 28 percent higher through July, compared to 2009. Retail sales for Chevrolet have increased 12 percent for the year, propelled by the strong retail sales of the Chevrolet Malibu, Camaro, Silverado, Equinox, and Traverse, which are up a combined 33 percent for the year.

Buick remains one of the industry's fastest-growing brands, with total sales 60 percent higher than 2009 through July. In the first seven months of the year, retail sales of Buicks have increased 41 percent on the strength of LaCrosse and Enclave which are up 175 and 14 percent, respectively.

GMC total sales through July are 28 percent higher than 2009. The brand's retail sales have increased 30 percent yeartodate on the strength of the GMC Terrain, Sierra and Acadia – up 326 percent, 13 percent and 21 percent respectively.

Total sales for Cadillac are up 46 percent for the year through July. Retail sales for the brand are 32 percent higher this year, with the all-new Cadillac SRX surging 487 percent – leading it to gain the most market share in the luxury crossover segment so far this year.

Month-end dealer inventory in the U.S. stood at about 424,000 units, which is about 15,000 units below June 2010, and about 43,000 lower than July 2009.

July Key Facts and Brand Results:

• Tenth consecutive month of total and retail sales gains for GM's four brands.

• Seventh consecutive month that sales for Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac have increased by 20 percent or more.
• Tenth consecutive month that GM crossovers have increased by more than 30 percent.
• Sixth month in a row of total sales improvement for GM's full-size pickups.
• Fifth consecutive month of double-digit retail sales increases for GM's brands.
• Tenth consecutive month of retail sales increases for GM passenger cars.
• Chevrolet: Chevrolet delivered 139,916 vehicles in July, a 12 percent gain year-over-year. Year-to-date total sales are up 28 percent .
• Buick: Buick posted a 137 percent sales increase in July compared to the same month last year. Driven by customer demand for the LaCrosse and all-new Regal, retail sales rose 104 percent.
• GMC: GMC reported a 27 percent increase in total sales in the month of July, compared to the same month last year. This includes a 29 percent increase in retail sales, marking 10 consecutive months of year-over-year retail sales gains for GMC.
• Cadillac: Total sales for July were 142 percent higher than last July. Retail sales increased 123 percent on the strength of consumer demand for the SRX, which posted its best month since it was introduced in 2003.
• Fleet sales for GM's four brands were 50,048 for the month.