VenSeattle

• December deliveries up 30 percent compared with October and up 43 percent compared with November
• Market share in December expected around 24 percent, up about 4 ppts compared with November, reflecting renewed APR rate support through GMAC
• Second half 2008 share up nearly 2 ppts compared with first half
• 2008 market share position anticipated to hold steady at just above 22 percent

DETROIT - General Motors dealers in the United States delivered 221,983 vehicles in December, down 31 percent compared with a year ago. However, total deliveries were 67,000 vehicles more than November's result, up more than 43 percent month over month. GM December car sales of 87,506 were off 25 percent and truck sales of 134,477 were down 35 percent compared with a year ago.

For the year, GM delivered 2,980,688 vehicles while maintaining an expected market share just above 22 percent. Annual deliveries were down 23 percent compared with 2007, largely due to building weakness in the marketplace throughout the year spurred by economic headwinds such as the dramatic reduction in credit availability experienced in the fourth quarter, coupled with historically low levels of consumer confidence. Additionally, the American Axle strike and several supply disruptions impacted GM's performance in the first half of the year.

"Given the ongoing challenges and the difficult market environment, we were very encouraged to see a volume rebound for GM in December compared with both October and November," said Mark LaNeve, vice president, GM North America Vehicle Sales, Service and Marketing. "We are building more vehicles than ever that provide great value and Americans enjoy owning. That is why, for the year, we are seeing our market share holding steady at just above 22 percent. That's 5 percentage points more and 760,000 vehicles more than our nearest competitor.

"Our outstanding cars, trucks and crossovers are enabling us to hold the leadership position in a very difficult market. Our Red Tag Event was well-received, and the ability to offer some 0% financing through our partner GMAC in the last week of the month also helped," LaNeve added.

Despite the weak market in December, Chevrolet Malibu continued its solid performance with total sales up 43 percent compared with last December. For 2008, Malibu sales of more than 178,000 vehicles were up 39 percent, making it the highest percentage gainer in the top 20 vehicles sold in America with a volume increase compared with 2007. With its six-speed transmission and four-cylinder engine combination, the Malibu delivers an EPA-estimated 33 mpg highway - tops in the industry's mid-car segment. The Malibu Hybrid also offers the lowest-priced hybrid in the segment. Additionally, with 4,500 retail vehicles delivered, the Chevrolet Traverse crossover nearly doubled its retail volume compared with November.

"We're really pleased about the strength of our Chevrolet brand, with the Malibu continuing to perform very well, and the Traverse crossover off to a strong start," LaNeve added. "Also, with a harsh winter and lower gas prices, our trucks and SUVs are continuing to perform well in their segments. With GMAC now able to provide more financing capacity, and with all the exciting new car and crossover launches including the Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon and SRX, Chevy Camaro and Equinox, and Buick LaCrosse in 2009, we are optimistic that with an overall market recovery we can begin to capitalize on the well-recognized product renaissance of all our brands."

A total of 2,555 GM hybrid vehicles were delivered in the month. Hybrid sales included: 981 Chevrolet Tahoe, 442 GMC Yukon and 306 Cadillac Escalade 2-mode hybrid SUVs delivered. There were 454 Chevrolet Malibu, 34 Saturn Aura and 338 Vue hybrids sold in December. In 2008, GM sold a total of 14,439 hybrid vehicles.

GM inventories dropped compared with a year ago. In December, only about 872,000 vehicles were in stock, down about 36,000 vehicles (or 4 percent) compared with last year. There were about 397,000 cars and 475,000 trucks (including crossovers) in inventory at the end of December.

Certified Used Vehicles

December 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 43,070 vehicles, up 21 percent from December 2007.

GM Certified Used Vehicles, the industry's top-selling certified brand, posted December sales of 37,632 vehicles, up 24 percent from December 2007. Saturn Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles sold 888 vehicles, down 24 percent. Cadillac Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles sold 3,740 vehicles, up 11 percent. Saab Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles sold 548 vehicles, up 14 percent, and HUMMER Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles sold 262 vehicles, up 85 percent.

Total 2008 sales for all certified GM brands were 485,279 vehicles, down 5 percent from 2007. Annual sales for GM Certified Used Vehicles were 422,114 vehicles, down 6 percent. Saturn Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles sold 11,573 vehicles in 2008, down 9 percent. Cadillac Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles finished 2008 with sales of 41,598 vehicles, up 7 percent from 2007, while Saab Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles posted sales of 7,705 vehicles, up 6 percent, and HUMMER Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles sold 2,289 vehicles, up 71 percent.

"December sales for certified GM programs were strong, with GM Certified Used Vehicles up 24 percent over last December, as shoppers continue to seek value and peace of mind in a challenging economy," said LaNeve. "GM Certified finished 2008 as the sales leader among all manufacturer-certified pre-owned brands for the seventh consecutive year, and our Cadillac, Saab and HUMMER luxury certified brands each posted strong year-to-year sales increases."

In December, GM North America produced 249,000 vehicles (105,000 cars and 144,000 trucks). This is down 3,000 vehicles or 1 percent compared with December 2007 when the region produced 252,000 vehicles (71,000 cars and 181,000 trucks). (Production totals include joint venture production of 10,000 vehicles in December 2008 and 15,000 vehicles in December 2007.)

GM North America built 823,000 vehicles (371,000 cars and 452,000 trucks) in the fourth-quarter of 2008. This is down 219,000 vehicles or 21 percent compared to fourth-quarter of 2007 when the region produced 1.042 million vehicles (358,000 cars and 684,000 trucks). Additionally, the region's 2009 first-quarter production forecast is now 420,000 vehicles (143,000 cars and 277,000 trucks), which is down about 53 percent compared with a year ago, and about 180,000 fewer than the previous forecast. GM North America built 885,000 vehicles (360,000 cars and 525,000 trucks) in the first-quarter of 2008. First quarter 2008 production was reduced nearly 100,000 vehicles due to the strike at American Axle.

General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world's largest automaker, has been the annual global industry sales leader for 77 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 252,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 34 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.

Note: GM sales and production results are available on GM Media OnLine at http://media.gm.com/us/gm/en/ by clicking on News, then Sales/Production. In this press release and related comments by General Motors management, we use words like "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "forecast," "objective," "plan," "goal" and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements, representing our current judgment about possible future events. We believe these judgments are reasonable, but actual results may differ materially due to a variety of important factors. Among other items, such factors might include: market acceptance of our products; shortages of and price increases for fuel; significant changes in the competitive environment and the effect of competition on our markets, including on our pricing policies; our ability to maintain adequate liquidity and financing sources and an appropriate level of debt; and changes in general economic conditions. GM's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly report on Form 10-Q provide information about these factors, which may be revised or supplemented in future reports to the SEC on Form 10-Q or 8-K.

- Audi's market share increases in both December and total year sales

- Audi A4 named "Car of the Year" by Detroit Free Press

- Audi A5 and A6 finish year strong with increases over December 2007

- Audi R8 and TT total year sales surpass 2007

HERNDON, Va., Jan. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Audi today announced sales for the month of December totaling 7,712 units. Despite a challenging marketplace, Audi appears to have outpaced most brands and will record market share increases for December and all of 2008.

Audi's December sales were led by strong totals from both the Audi A5 and A6. The Audi A5 posted a 383.1% increase over last December with 657 units sold. The Audi A6 had a solid month with over 1,218 units sold, an increase of 1.2% over December 2007.

"Our goal this past year was to grow our market share and grow awareness of the brand," said Audi of America President, Johan de Nysschen. "We accomplished this with an aggressive product offensive that continues into 2009 and beyond."

De Nysschen noted that 2009 Audi launches will include two diesel offerings, several fuel-efficient powertrain combinations, performance vehicles, the all-new crossover Audi Q5, and the all-new A5 and S5 cabriolet models.

Even in the difficult market created during 2008, both the Audi R8 and TT surpassed their previous total year sales. The Audi R8 sold 900 units in 2008 compared to 240 in 2007. The Audi TT sales increased by 3% in sales from 2007, with 4,486 units sold in 2008.

Audi Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) sales set a new record during 2008. Audi recorded 32,108 CPO sales, an increase of 18.6% over the previous year.

Also this week, the Detroit Free Press selected the Audi A4 as the Car of the Year, proclaiming that the A4 "stands head and shoulders above other new cars introduced this year and above any Audi sedan that preceded it." In honoring the Audi A4, the Detroit Free Press highlights the A4's "excellent fuel economy and performance" and notes that the "comfortable interior is designed with an architect's sensibility for appearance and touch."

ABOUT AUDI

Audi of America and its 270 dealers offer a full line of German-engineered luxury vehicles. The Audi line up is one of the freshest in the industry with 23 models, including 12 models launched during model years 2008 and 2009. Audi is among the most successful brands globally. Last year AUDI AG recorded its 12th consecutive record year for sales and profit growth. Visit www.audiusa.com or www.audiusanews.com for more information regarding Audi vehicles and business issues.

    AUDI US SNAPSHOT                                -----YEAR TO DATE--------


                        Dec-08   Dec-07    Yr/Yr%  Dec-08   Dec-07   Yr/Yr%
    Model Line          Actual   Actual    change    YTD     YTD     change
                                                   actual   actual

    A3                    361      486    -25.7 %    4759    6353   -25.1 %
    A4                   3854     4198     -8.2 %   43343   45411    -4.6 %
    A5                    657      136    383.1 %    6282     625   905.1 %
    A6                   1218     1204      1.2 %   11956   12001   -0.04 %
    A8                    120      351    -65.8 %    2825    3826   -26.2 %
    TT                    180      484    -62.8 %    4486    4355     3.0 %
    R8                    115       70     64.3 %     900     240   275.0 %
    Audi Q7              1207     1575    -23.4 %   13209   20695   -36.2 %
    Total Audi Sales     7712     8504     -9.3 %   87760   93506    -6.1 %


    NOTES:
    -- A4 includes Audi A4 sedan, Avant, and RS models.
    -- A5 includes Audi A5 coupe' and S5 coupe' models.
    -- A6 includes Audi A6 sedan, S6 sedan and A6 Avant models.
    -- A8 includes Audi A8 sedan, A8L sedan, and S8 sedan models.
    -- TT includes Audi TT coupe' and TT roadster models.

HERNDON, Va.— Volkswagen of America, Inc. today announced December 2008 sales of 17,577 units, a 14.4 percent decrease over December 2007. Full year sales of 223,128 total units for 2008, was a decrease of 3.2 percent verse 2007 sales.

"The auto industry in 2008 was one of the toughest we've seen in a long time,." said Mark Barnes, Chief Operating Officer, Volkswagen of America, Inc. "Despite these economic conditions, 2008 was still a good year for Volkswagen. We relocated our North American headquarters to Herndon, VA. bringing us closer to our customers, we announced an all-new North American production facility will be built in Chattanooga, TN., and we launched an impressive five new vehicles that allowed Volkswagen to buck the economic downturn as our sales remained close to our 2007 totals. Volkswagen of America has a plan in place for a successful future here in the U.S."

Volkswagen of America, Inc.

Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc. is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen is one of the world’s largest producers of passenger cars and Europe’s largest automaker. Volkswagen sells the Eos, Rabbit, New Beetle, New Beetle convertible, GTI, Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, GLI, Passat, Passat wagon, CC, Tiguan, Touareg 2 and Routan through approximately 600 independent U.S. dealers. All 2009 Volkswagens come standard-equipped with Electronic Stabilization Program. This is important because the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has called ESC the most effective new vehicle safety technology since the safety belt. Visit Volkswagen of America online at vw.com or www.media.vw.com to learn more.

Thanks to the Evo. If not for it and the little bit of good will it brought to the Lancer name plate, I think Mitsu would be out of the U.S. market. I can't really comment on the Galant as I've never driven one or been in one but my guess is fleet sales are up? I may have to check one out at the NAIAS just to satisfy my curiosity.

Didn't Mitsubishi back out of NAIAS? I don't think they'll be there for you to check out...

Notice they went from 'approximately' 480 dealers in their Nov'08 release to now saying 'more than' 440 dealers in their Dec'08 release. Apparently Mitsubishi dealers are starting to drop like flies.

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., Jan. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyundai Motor America today announced sales of 401,742 for 2008, a decline of 14 percent over 2007.

"While 2008 was a tough year, we are encouraged that Hyundai was once again able to outperform the general market and increase our market share in the midst of unprecedented market conditions," said Dave Zuchowski, Hyundai Motor America's vice president of national sales.

"We are looking forward to 2009," added Zuchowski. "In fact, to help us build on the tenth anniversary of Hyundai's industry-leading 10-year/100,000-mile warranty, the 'Hyundai Assurance Program' has just been announced. The Hyundai Assurance Program provides new car buyers and lessees who lose their income protection against negative equity and credit rating concerns. With these two great tools in place and the strongest product lineup in our history, we are cautiously optimistic going into the New Year." For details about the Hyundai Assurance Program please visit www.hyundaiusa.com.

Sales for December were 24,037, up 25 percent over November.

All Hyundai vehicles sold in the U.S. are covered by The Hyundai Advantage, America's Best Warranty. Hyundai buyers are protected by a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, a 5-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, a 7-year/unlimited-mile anti-perforation warranty and 5-year/unlimited-mile roadside assistance protection.

Hyundai Motor America, headquartered in Fountain Valley, Calif., is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Co. of Korea. Hyundai vehicles are distributed throughout the United States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced by more than 790 dealerships nationwide.

    CARLINE         DEC/2007     DEC/2008     CY/2007      CY/2008
    -------         --------     --------     -------      -------
    ACCENT            1,945        1,833       36,055       50,431
    SONATA           24,872        6,593      145,568      117,357
    ELANTRA           3,757        2,635       85,724       94,720
    TIBURON             601          412       14,073        9,111
    SANTA FE          9,102        6,289       92,421       70,994
    AZERA             1,597          347       21,948       14,461
    TUCSON            2,962          874       41,476       19,027
    ENTOURAGE           429        3,065       17,155        8,470
    VERACRUZ          1,222          949       12,589       11,004
    GENESIS               0        1,040            0        6,167
    TOTAL            46,487       24,037      467,009      401,742

- MAZDA5 Sales Lead For 2008 -

IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) today reported 2008 sales of 263,949 down 10.7 percent for the year. December 2008 sales were down 26.8 percent versus December 2007, with 17,965 vehicles sold, but represented the company's best sales month since August 2008.

On a sales-result basis, the company's strongest-performing vehicle was the MAZDA5 multi-activity vehicle. December was the vehicle's best-ever sales month since its launch, with sales of 2,884 units, up 77.4 percent from December 2007. On a 2008 year-to-date basis, the MAZDA5 is up 60.5 percent, selling a total of 22,021 vehicles compared to a total of 13,717 vehicles sold in 2007.

"2008 has been a roller-coaster ride unlike anything we've seen before," said Jim O'Sullivan, president and CEO, MNAO. "We started out the year with record fuel prices that subsequently returned to more 'normal' levels; the credit crunch made many believe that financing was unavailable, which kept them out of showrooms, but the money's out there now; we've battled depreciation in the housing market and there's no sign of it returning to headier days yet. Through it all, though, consumer confidence has continued to undermine efforts to drive customers to dealerships. Closing the year down a little more than ten percent may be nothing to crow about, but our market share is strong and we're ready for when the economy turns and the marketplace strengthens."

The all-new 2009 MAZDA6, which arrived at dealerships across the country in September 2008, continues its strong start. The new MAZDA6 features a larger body than the outgoing car, as well as more powerful - and more fuel efficient - engine choices.

The selldown of the outgoing MAZDA3 continues well, with the best sales month since August 2008, selling 7,864 vehicles. The all-new 2010 MAZDA3, which was revealed at the Los Angeles Auto Show, offers two fuel efficient engines and a host of standard and optional features not available at any price on competitors' vehicles. The 2010 MAZDA3 arrives in dealerships across the country in the first quarter of this year.

Mazda Motor de Mexico (MMdM) celebrated its best-ever December with sales of 2,704 vehicles, up 31 percent versus last year. For 2008, MMdM reported 21,997 total sales, accounting for a 33 percent increase versus 2007. The all-new MAZDA6 had a record month with 612 vehicles sold and the MAZDA3 also had a record month with 1,016 vehicles sold.

Mazda Canada Inc. (MCI) reported December sales of 4,510 units, down slightly compared to December 2007. Overall sales for 2008 were down 1.9 percent compared to overall 2007 sales, but in a shrinking market, MCI expects its market share to soar to record levels of over five percent.

Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., Mazda North American Operations oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico through nearly 900 dealers. Operations in Canada are managed by Mazda Canada, Inc., located in Ontario; in Mexico by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City; and in Puerto Rico by Mazda de Puerto Rico in San Juan.

                            Month-To-Date
                            -------------

               December  December         %     % MTD
                  2008      2007       Change     DSR
                  ----      ----       ------     ---

    Mazda3       7,864     9,281        (15.3)% (15.3)%
    Mazda5       2,884     1,626         77.4%   77.4%
    Mazda6       3,088     4,485        (31.1)% (31.1)%
    MX-5
     Miata         299       769        (61.1)% (61.1)%
    RX-8           153       315        (51.4)% (51.4)%
    CX-7         1,169     3,481        (66.4)% (66.4)%
    CX-9         2,103     3,061        (31.3)% (31.3)%
    Tribute        352     1,377        (74.4)% (74.4)%
    B-Series
      Truck         53       161        (67.1)% (67.1)%
    MPV              -         -          N/A     N/A

    Total Vehicles
    --------------

    CARS        14,288    16,476        (13.3)% (13.3)%
    TRUCKS       3,677     8,080        (54.5)% (54.5)%
                 -----     -----        -----

    TOTAL       17,965    24,556        (26.8)% (26.8)%
                ======    ======        =====   =====


    -----
    MEMO:
    -----

    IMPORT
     CAR        11,200    11,991         (6.6)%
    IMPORT
     TRUCK       3,272     6,542 4,400  (50.0)%
                 -----     ----- -----  -----
    IMPORT
     TOTAL      14,472    18,533        (21.9)%

    DOMESTIC
      CAR        3,088     4,485        (31.1)%
    DOMESTIC
      TRUCK        405     1,538        (73.7)%
                   ---     -----        -----
    DOMESTIC
      TOTALS     3,493     6,023        (42.0)%
    --------     -----     -----        -----
    Selling
     Days           26        26
    -------

                            Year-To-Date
                            ------------

               December  December          %     % YTD
                 2008      2007         Change     DSR
                 ----      ----         ------     ---

    Mazda3     109,957   120,235         (8.5)%  (8.8)%
    Mazda5      22,021    13,717         60.5%   60.0%
    Mazda6      52,590    57,267         (8.2)%  (8.5)%
    MX-5
     Miata      10,977    15,075        (27.2)% (27.4)%
    RX-8         3,368     5,767        (41.6)% (41.8)%
    CX-7        26,811    41,653        (35.6)% (35.8)%
    CX-9        26,100    25,562          2.1%    1.8%
    Tribute     10,806    13,679        (21.0)% (21.3)%
    B-Series
      Truck      1,319     2,657        (50.4)% (50.5)%
    MPV              -       125       (100.0)%   N/A

    Total Vehicles
    --------------

    CARS       198,913   212,061         (6.2)%  (6.5)%
    TRUCKS      65,036    83,676        (22.3)% (22.5)%
                ------    ------        -----

    TOTAL      263,949   295,737        (10.7)% (11.0)%
               =======   =======        =====   =====


    -----
    MEMO:
    -----

    IMPORT
     CAR       146,323   154,794         (5.5)%
    IMPORT
     TRUCK      52,911    67,340        (21.4)%
                ------    ------        -----
    IMPORT
     TOTAL     199,234   222,134        (10.3)%

    DOMESTIC
      CAR       52,590    57,267         (8.2)%
    DOMESTIC
      TRUCK     12,125    16,336        (25.8)%
                ------    ------        -----
    DOMESTIC
      TOTALS    64,715    73,603        (12.1)%
    --------    ------    ------        -----
    Selling
     Days          311       310
    -------
    Note:  MPV is a discontinued vehicle.

Mercedes-Benz Certified Pre-Owned Sets Record Sales

MONTVALE, N.J., Jan. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) reported December sales of 18,507 vehicles, bringing the company's total 2008 volume to 225,128, an 11.2 percent decrease over the annual sales record set last year.

The C-Class was the volume leader for the year with sales of 72,471 vehicles, a 13.8 percent increase over last year. The company's M-Class SUV continued to be a popular choice with buyers in 2008, with a 1.3 percent increase in sales (34,320 vs. 33,879 units).

Separately, through the Mercedes-Benz Certified Pre-Owned (MBCPO) program, MBUSA sold 6,589 vehicles in December 2008. This boosted the MBCPO year-end total to 64,654 units, a 26.9 percent increase over last year's MBCPO sales.

Mercedes-Benz USA, headquartered in Montvale, New Jersey, is responsible for the sales, marketing and service of all Mercedes-Benz and Maybach products in the United States. For more than forty years, MBUSA has taken pride in its commitment to the customer by providing superior quality luxury vehicles coupled with outstanding customer support. More information on MBUSA and its products can be found at www.mbusa.com and www.maybachusa.com.

                                  MERCEDES-BENZ USA
                                Sales - December 2008

    Model       Dec '08 Dec '07 Monthly %  YTD 2008 YTD 2007 Yearly %
    -----       ------- ------- ---------  -------- -------- --------

    -------       -----   -----     -----    ------   ------     ----
    C-CLASS       6,090   6,899     -11.7%   72,471   63,701     13.8%
    -------       -----   -----     -----    ------   ------     ----

    -------       -----   -----     -----    ------   ------    -----
    E-CLASS       3,464   6,126     -43.5%   38,576   48,950    -21.2%
    -------       -----   -----     -----    ------   ------    -----

    -------       -----   -----     -----    ------   ------    -----
    S-CLASS       1,075   2,374     -54.7%   17,787   26,081    -31.8%
    -------       -----   -----     -----    ------   ------    -----

    --------        ---     ---     -----     -----    -----    -----
    CL-CLASS        147     353     -58.4%    2,733    3,672    -25.6%
    --------        ---     ---     -----     -----    -----    -----

    --------        ---     ---     -----     -----    -----    -----
    SL-CLASS        263     532     -50.6%    5,464    6,126    -10.8%
    --------        ---     ---     -----     -----    -----    -----

    ---------     -----   -----     -----    ------   ------    -----
    CLK-CLASS     1,047   1,232     -15.0%   10,844   15,009    -27.8%
    ---------     -----   -----     -----    ------   ------    -----

    ---------       ---     ---     -----     -----    -----    -----
    SLK-CLASS       285     528     -46.0%    4,941    7,270    -32.0%
    ---------       ---     ---     -----     -----    -----    -----

    ---------       ---     ---     -----     -----    -----    -----
    CLS-CLASS       569     759     -25.0%    5,775    7,906    -27.0%
    ---------       ---     ---     -----     -----    -----    -----

    -------         ---   -----     -----     -----   ------    -----
    R-CLASS         539   1,340     -59.8%    7,733   13,031    -40.7%
    -------         ---   -----     -----     -----   ------    -----

    -------       -----   -----     -----    ------   ------      ---
    M-CLASS       2,761   3,962     -30.3%   34,320   33,879      1.3%
    -------       -----   -----     -----    ------   ------      ---

    --------        ---     ---      ----       ---    -----    -----
    G-CLASS         128     138      -7.2%      931    1,152    -19.2%
    --------        ---     ---      ----       ---    -----    -----

    --------      -----   -----     -----    ------   ------    -----
    GL-CLASS      2,139   3,026     -29.3%   23,328   26,396    -11.6%
    --------      -----   -----     -----    ------   ------    -----

    ---                                         ---      ---      ---
    SLR                                         106      104      1.9%
    ---                                         ---      ---      ---

    -------                                     ---      ---    -----
    Maybach                                     119      156    -23.7%
    -------                                     ---      ---    -----

    -----------  ------  ------     -----   -------  -------    -----
    GRAND TOTAL  18,507  27,269     -32.1%  225,128  253,433    -11.2%
    -----------  ------  ------     -----   -------  -------    -----

Civic and Fit post gains for the year


TORRANCE, Calif., Jan. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- American Honda Motor Co., Inc., today reported 2008 annual vehicle sales of 1,428,765, a decrease of 8.2 percent compared to 2007 results on a daily selling-rate* basis. American Honda's December sales totaled 86,085, a decrease of 34.7 percent.


Honda Division's 2008 annual sales of 1,284,261 decreased 6.7 percent compared to 2007. Honda Division's December monthly sales of 75,405 represent a decrease of 34.0 percent compared to 2007. Annual total car sales of 794,421 for the Honda Division increased 1.0 percent and set a record for the fourth consecutive year. The division's truck sales decreased by 16.9 percent to 489,840.


Accord, the top-selling Honda model for 2008, achieved annual sales of 372,789, down 5.3 percent. December Accord sales decreased 28.5 percent, to 22,348. Civic sales totaled 339,289 for the year, up 2.1 percent. December Civic sales decreased to 17,302, down 36.4 percent. Annual Fit sales of 79,794, up 40.9 percent, set a record for the third consecutive year. December Fit sales decreased 1.5 percent, to 5,039.


"American Honda's sales mirror the industry's current condition," said Dick Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "We believe Honda will be in a strong position when the market stabilizes."


The Acura Division's total year-end sales of 144,504 vehicles represented a decline of 20.0 percent. December Acura sales totaled 10,680, down 39.3 percent. The Acura TL led the division with annual sales of 46,766, followed closely by the Acura MDX with sales of 45,377 - the previous best-selling Acura in 2007.


*The annual Daily Selling Rate (DSR) is calculated with 308 days for 2008, versus 307 for 2007. Both December 2007 and 2008 included 26 selling days. All percentages in this release represent DSR.


For more information or downloadable high-resolution images of Honda and Acura vehicles, please visit www.hondanews.com for Honda and www.Acuranews.com for Acura. Consumer information is available at www.honda.com for Honda, www.Acura.com for Acura.

          American Honda Vehicle Sales For December 2008
                                          Month-to-Date
                                     December  December  DSR**
                                        2008      2007 % Chg.
                                     -------   ------   ------
    American Honda Total              86,085   131,792  -34.7%
    ----------------------
       Total Car Sales                50,918    73,186  -30.4%
       Total Truck Sales              35,167    58,606  -40.0%
          Honda Total Car Sales       44,762    63,773  -29.8%
          Honda Total Truck Sales     30,643    50,437  -39.2%
          Acura Total Car Sales        6,156     9,413  -34.6%
          Acura Total Truck Sales      4,524     8,169  -44.6%
    Domestic Car Sales *              40,642    54,174  -25.0%
    ----------------------
       Honda Division                 37,035    48,186  -23.1%
       Acura Division                  3,607     5,988  -39.8%
    Domestic Truck Sales *            30,629    43,373  -29.4%
    ----------------------
       Honda Division                 26,105    35,204  -25.8%
       Acura Division                  4,524     8,169  -44.6%
    Import Car Sales                  10,276    19,012  -45.9%
    ----------------------
       Honda Division                  7,727    15,587  -50.4%
       Acura Division                  2,549     3,425  -25.6%
    Import Truck Sales                 4,538    15,233  -70.2%
    ----------------------
       Honda Division                  4,538    15,233  -70.2%
    ----------------------           -------   ------- ------
    MODEL BREAKOUTS BY DIVISION
    Honda Division Total              75,405   114,210  -34.0%
    ----------------------           -------   ------- ------
        Fit                            5,039     5,118   -1.5%
       Accord *                       22,348    31,255  -28.5%
         Memo:  Accord Hybrid              1       150  -99.3%
       Civic *                        17,302    27,190  -36.4%
         Memo:  Civic Hybrid           1,036     3,223  -67.9%
       S2000                              72       210  -65.7%
       Insight                             0         0
       FCX                                 0         0
       FCX Clarity                         1
    ----------------------           -------   -------  ------
       Odyssey  *                      6,950    14,907  -53.4%
       Pilot *                         6,735    10,403  -35.3%
       CR-V *                         13,933    18,659  -25.3%
       Element *                       1,336     2,875  -53.5%
       Ridgeline                       1,689     3,593  -53.0%
    ----------------------           -------   -------  ------
    Acura Division Total              10,680    17,582  -39.3%
    ----------------------           -------   -------  ------
       RSX                                 0         1
       TL *                            3,607     5,988  -39.8%
       TSX                             2,304     2,838  -18.8%
       RL                                245       586  -58.2%
       MDX *                           3,383     5,906  -42.7%
       RDX  *                          1,141     2,263  -49.6%
    ----------------------           -------   -------  ------
    Selling Days                          26        26

                                           Year-to-Date
                                     December  December  DSR**
                                        2008      2007 % Chg.
                                        ----      ---- ------
    American Honda Total           1,428,765 1,551,542   -8.2%
    ----------------------
       Total Car Sales               877,703   882,215   -0.8%
       Total Truck Sales             551,062   669,327  -17.9%
          Honda Total Car Sales      794,421   784,073    1.0%
          Honda Total Truck Sales    489,840   587,365  -16.9%
          Acura Total Car Sales       83,282    98,142  -15.4%
          Acura Total Truck Sales     61,222    81,962  -25.5%
    Domestic Car Sales *             661,736   706,504   -6.6%
    ----------------------
       Honda Division                614,970   647,959   -5.4%
       Acura Division                 46,766    58,545  -20.4%
    Domestic Truck Sales *           444,263   476,297   -7.0%
    ----------------------
       Honda Division                383,041   394,335   -3.2%
       Acura Division                 61,222    81,962  -25.5%
    Import Car Sales                 215,967   175,711   22.5%
    ----------------------
       Honda Division                179,451   136,114   31.4%
       Acura Division                 36,516    39,597   -8.1%
    Import Truck Sales               106,799   193,030  -44.9%
    ----------------------
       Honda Division                106,799   193,030  -44.9%
    --------------------             -------   -------  ------
    MODEL BREAKOUTS BY DIVISION
    Honda Division Total           1,284,261 1,371,438   -6.7%
    ----------------------           --------- ---------   ----
        Fit                           79,794    56,432   40.9%
       Accord *                      372,789   392,231   -5.3%
         Memo:  Accord Hybrid            198     3,405  -94.2%
       Civic *                       339,289   331,095    2.1%
         Memo:  Civic Hybrid          31,297    32,575   -4.2%
       S2000                           2,538     4,302  -41.2%
       Insight                             0         3
       FCX                                 6        10  -40.2%
       FCX Clarity                         5
    ----------------------           -------   -------  ------
       Odyssey  *                    135,493   173,046  -22.0%
       Pilot *                        96,746   117,146  -17.7%
       CR-V *                        197,279   219,160  -10.3%
       Element *                      26,447    35,218  -25.1%
       Ridgeline                      33,875    42,795  -21.1%
    ----------------------           -------   -------  ------
    Acura Division Total             144,504   180,104  -20.0%
    ----------------------           -------   -------  ------
       RSX                                 1       296  -99.7%
       TL *                           46,766    58,545  -20.4%
       TSX                            31,998    33,037   -3.5%
       RL                              4,517     6,262  -28.1%
       MDX *                          45,377    58,606  -22.8%
       RDX  *                         15,845    23,356  -32.4%
    ----------------------           -------   -------  ------
    Selling Days                         308       307
       * Honda and Acura vehicles are made of domestic and
        global sourced parts.
     ** Daily Selling Rate



                 Month-to-Date               Year-to-Date
            December  December  DSR**  December  December  DSR**
              2008     2007   % Chg.     2008     2007   % Chg.
              ----     ----   ------     ----     ----   ------

    Hybrid   1,037    3,373   -69.3%    31,495   35,983   -12.8%

TORRANCE, Calif., Jan. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., today reported year-end sales of 2,217,662 vehicles, a decrease of 15.7 percent from the same period in 2007, on a daily selling rate basis.

Toyota Division recorded year-end sales of 1,957,575 vehicles, down 14.9 percent from the prior year. Lexus reported sales of 260,087 units in 2008, down 21.2 percent from 2007. Scion Division reported sales of 113,904 units for the year.

TMS reported December sales results of 141,949, a decrease of 36.7 percent from the same period last year.

"Our New Year's resolution is to shift the focus back to where it belongs, to the consumer," said TMS President Jim Lentz. "The sooner stimulus efforts find their way to where they'll do the most good - into the hands of consumers - the sooner we'll see a turnaround in confidence levels and a return of buyers to the marketplace."

Toyota Division

Toyota Division reported December sales of 118,587 units, down 37.5 percent from December 2007. Toyota Division passenger cars recorded December sales of 67,717 units, with year-end sales of 1,207,006 units, down 8.4 percent from last year. For the year, passenger car sales were led by Camry, which posted annual sales of 436,617. Corolla posted year-end sales of 351,007. The Yaris subcompact reported best-ever year-end sales totaling 102,328, up 20.3 percent over 2007. Prius recorded sales of 158,884 units for the year.

Toyota Division light trucks reported December sales of 50,870 units, with year-end sales of 750,569, down 23.5 percent from 2007. Light truck sales were led by the Tacoma mid-size pickup, with year-end sales of 144,655 units. Tundra reported sales of 137,249 units in 2008. RAV4 compact sport utility vehicle reported year-end sales of 137,020 units for the year. Highlander and Highlander Hybrid posted combined sales of 104,661 units for the year. The Highlander Hybrid gas-electric mid-size SUV reported sales of 19,391 units in 2008. Sequoia reported year-end sales of 30,693 units, up 31.5 percent over the prior year.

Scion reported December sales of 4,127 units. The Scion xB urban utility vehicle recorded December sales of 1,794 units, with year-end sales totaling 45,220. The tC sports coupe reported December sales of 1,348 units, with year-end sales reaching 40,980 units. The xD posted sales of 985 units in December and year-end sales of 27,665 units.

Lexus Division

Lexus reported December sales of 23,362 units, down 32.4 percent from the year-ago month. Lexus passenger cars reported December sales of 11,542 units, with year-end sales of 151,567 units in 2008. Lexus passenger car sales were led by the ES entry luxury sedan with December sales of 5,236 units and year-end sales of 64,135. The IS entry luxury sport sedan recorded combined December sales of 3,539 units and combined year-end sales of 49,432 units. The LS flagship sedan reported combined December sales of 1,451 units and year-end sales of 20,255 units. The GS luxury sport sedan posted combined December sales of 1,200 units, with year-end sales totaling 15,759 units.

Lexus Division light trucks reported December sales of 11,820 units and year-end sales of 108,520 units. The RX luxury utility posted combined December sales of 9,932 units and year-end sales of 84,181 units. The RX 400h luxury hybrid SUV reported sales of 15,200 units for the year. The LX posted yearly sales of 7,915 units, up 219.7 percent over 2007.

TMS Hybrids

TMS calendar-year-to-date hybrid sales totaled 241,405 units. In December, TMS posted sales of 12,201 hybrid vehicles. Toyota Division posted December sales of 10,637 hybrids and year-end sales of 224,547 units. Lexus Division posted sales of 1,564 hybrids for the month and 16,858 units for the year.

There were 308 selling days in 2008, compared to 307 selling days in 2007. There were 26 selling days this sales month and last December.

                             TOYOTA  RETAIL  SALES
                           (INCLUDES FLEET & HAWAII)
                                December, 2008

                         -- CURRENT MONTH --    -- CALENDAR YEAR TO DATE --
                                           DSR %                       DSR %
                         2008     2007     CHG      2008       2007    CHG
                         ----     ----     ---      ----       ----    ---

    YARIS               4,417    5,477   -19.4   102,328     84,799   20.3
    COROLLA            22,129   28,582   -22.6   351,007    371,390   -5.8
    CAMRY              25,275   38,831   -34.9   436,617    473,108   -8.0
    VENZA               1,474        0     N/A     1,474          0    N/A
    AVALON              2,436    5,694   -57.2    42,790     72,945  -41.5
    PRIUS               7,859   14,212   -44.7   158,884    181,221  -12.6
    SCION xA                0       14  -100.0        39      9,547  -99.6
    SCION xB            1,794    3,785   -52.6    45,220     45,834   -1.7
    SCION tC            1,348    3,507   -61.6    40,980     63,852  -36.0
    SCION xD              985    1,638   -39.9    27,665     10,948  151.9
    TOTAL TOYOTA DIV.
     PASS. CAR         67,717  101,741   -33.4 1,207,006  1,313,651   -8.4
    -----------------  ------  -------   ----- ---------  ---------   ----
    ES                  5,236    8,005   -34.6    64,135     82,867  -22.9
    LS                  1,451    3,257   -55.4    20,255     35,226  -42.7
    SC                    116      348   -66.7     1,986      3,927  -49.6
    GS                  1,200    2,579   -53.5    15,759     23,381  -32.8
    IS                  3,539    5,651   -37.4    49,432     54,933  -10.3
    TOTAL LEXUS PASS.
     CAR               11,542   19,840   -41.8   151,567    200,334  -24.6
    -----------------  ------   ------   -----   -------    -------  -----
    TOTAL TOYOTA
     PASS. CAR         79,259  121,581   -34.8 1,358,573  1,513,985  -10.6
    ------------       ------  -------   ----- ---------  ---------  -----
    SIENNA              6,901   12,350   -44.1   115,944    138,162  -16.4
    RAV4                8,795   13,816   -36.3   137,020    172,752  -20.9
    FJ CRUISER          3,168    4,079   -22.3    28,668     55,170  -48.2
    4RUNNER             3,707    7,421   -50.0    47,878     87,718  -45.6
    HIGHLANDER          7,791   14,714   -47.1   104,661    127,878  -18.4
    LAND CRUISER          227      648   -65.0     3,801      3,251   16.5
    SEQUOIA             2,399    2,567    -6.5    30,693     23,273   31.5
    TOTAL SUV          26,087   43,245   -39.7   352,721    470,042  -25.2
    ---------          ------   ------   -----   -------    -------  -----
    4X2 TACOMA          4,287    7,858   -45.4    79,773    102,696  -22.6
    4X4 TACOMA          4,404    5,431   -18.9    64,882     70,542   -8.3
    TOTAL TACOMA        8,691   13,289   -34.6   144,655    173,238  -16.8
    TUNDRA              9,191   19,219   -52.2   137,249    196,555  -30.4
    TOTAL PICKUP       17,882   32,508   -45.0   281,904    369,793  -24.0
    TOTAL TOYOTA DIV.
     LT TRUCK          50,870   88,103   -42.3   750,569    977,997  -23.5
    LX                    508      132   284.8     7,915      2,468  219.7
    GX                  1,380    2,748   -49.8    16,424     23,035  -28.9
    RX                  9,932   11,835   -16.1    84,181    103,340  -18.8
    TOTAL LEXUS
     LIGHT TRUCK       11,820   14,715   -19.7   108,520    128,843  -16.0
    ------------       ------   ------   -----   -------    -------  -----
    TOTAL TOYOTA
     LIGHT TRUCK       62,690  102,818   -39.0   859,089  1,106,840  -22.6
    ------------       ------  -------   -----   -------  ---------  -----
    TOTAL TOYOTA DIV. 118,587  189,844   -37.5 1,957,575  2,291,648  -14.9
    TOTAL LEXUS        23,362   34,555   -32.4   260,087    329,177  -21.2
    -----------        ------   ------   -----   -------    -------  -----
    TOTAL TOYOTA      141,949  224,399   -36.7 2,217,662  2,620,825  -15.7
    MEMO:
    DOM. COROLLA       17,192   28,571   -39.8   252,877    348,016  -27.6
    DOM. CAMRY         24,790   37,757   -34.3   428,841    418,757    2.1
    DOM. RAV4             210        0     N/A       247          0    N/A
    DOM. PICKUP        17,882   32,508   -45.0   281,902    369,793  -24.0
    DOM. RX             8,221    8,414    -2.3    63,610     74,351  -14.7

    SELLING DAYS           26       26               308        307
    ------------           --       --               ---        ---



    TOYOTA DIV.
     IMPORT CAR        21,825   29,719   -26.6   481,024    473,933    1.2
    LEXUS IMPORT CAR   11,542   19,840   -41.8   151,567    200,334  -24.6
    TOYOTA DIV NA
     BUILT CARS        45,892   72,022   -36.3   725,982    839,718  -13.8
    TOTAL TOYOTA CARS  79,259  121,581   -34.8 1,358,573  1,513,985  -10.6

    TOYOTA DIV.
     IMPORT LT
     TRUCK             23,478   40,678   -42.3   321,781    446,769  -28.2
    LEXUS IMPORT LT
     TRUCK              3,599    6,301   -42.9    44,910     54,492  -17.9
    TOYOTA DIV NA
     BUILT LT TRUCK    27,392   47,425   -42.2   428,788    531,228  -19.5
    LEXUS NA BUILT
     LT TRUCK           8,221    8,414    -2.3    63,610     74,351  -14.7
    TOTAL TOYOTA LT
     TRUCK             62,690  102,818   -39.0   859,089  1,106,840  -22.6
    ---------------    ------  -------   -----   -------  ---------  -----

    SPORT UTILITY
     VEHICLES          34,739   53,881   -35.5   432,573    543,715  -20.7
       Memo: Lexus
        Sport Utility  11,820   14,715   -19.7   108,520    128,843  -16.0

    SMALL VANS          6,901   12,350   -44.1   115,944    138,162  -16.4
    PICKUPS            17,882   32,508   -45.0   281,904    369,793  -24.0

    ----------------
    * NORTH AMERICAN
     BUILT VEHICLES
    COROLLA            17,192   28,571   -39.8   252,877    348,016  -27.6
    CAMRY              24,790   37,757   -34.3   428,841    418,757    2.1
    VENZA               1,474        0     N/A     1,474          0    N/A
    AVALON              2,436    5,694   -57.2    42,790     72,945  -41.5
    SIENNA              6,901   12,350   -44.1   115,944    138,162  -16.4
    RAV4                  210        0     N/A       247          0    N/A
    PICKUP             17,882   32,508   -45.0   281,902    369,793  -24.0
    SEQUOIA             2,399    2,567    -6.5    30,693     23,273   31.5
    RX                  8,221    8,414    -2.3    63,610     74,351  -14.7
    TOTAL              81,505  127,861   -36.3 1,218,378  1,445,297  -16.0
    N.A. VEHICLES %
     OF TOTAL            57.4%    57.0%             54.9%      55.1%

    SELLING DAYS           26       26               308        307
    DSR = DAILY SELLING RATE

FRANKLIN, Tenn., Jan. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Nissan North America, Inc. (NNA) today reported sales for December of 62,102 units versus 89,555 units a year ago, a decrease of 30.7 percent. Sales of Nissan Division vehicles decreased 30.0 percent, while sales of Infiniti vehicles decreased by 34.6 percent.

NISSAN HIGHLIGHTS
-- Nissan vehicles saw sales of 53,829 units in December compared with
76,900 units sold in December 2007, a 30.0 percent decrease.
-- Nissan's crossovers experienced a strong December, with sales of the
Rogue up 10.0 percent from the prior year with 6,916 units, and sales
of Murano up 53.9 percent, at 6,461 units.
-- For the 2008 calendar year, Nissan sales totaled 838,361 units, a
decrease of 10.9 percent from 941,200 in 2007.

INFINITI HIGHLIGHTS
-- Infiniti sales for December were 8,273 units, down from 12,655 a year
ago, a decline of 34.6 percent.
-- For the 2008 calendar year, Infiniti sales totaled 112,989 units, a
decrease of 11.1 percent from 127,038 in 2007.

NNA INFORMATION
-- Combined sales for Nissan and Infiniti of 62,102 units, compared with
last December's sales of 89,555 units, marked a decrease of 30.7
percent.
-- For the 2008 calendar year, combined sales of Nissan and Infiniti
totaled 951,350 units, a 10.9 percent decrease from 2007.
-- To ensure consistency in our global sales reporting, Nissan North
America calculates monthly variances on a straight-percentage basis,
unadjusted for the number of selling days in the month. This December
had 26 selling days, as did December 2007.


In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program 2010, whose key priorities are reducing CO2 emissions, cutting other emissions and increasing recycling. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.infiniti.com.

    NISSAN DIVISION

                    December  December   Monthly  CYTD     CYTD      CYTD
                      2008      2007     % chg    2008     2007     % chg
    Nissan Division
     Total            53,829    76,900   -30.0  838,361   941,200   -10.9
    Versa              5,138     6,214   -17.3   85,182    79,443     7.2
    Sentra             5,766     6,879   -16.2   99,797   106,522    -6.3
    Altima            17,311    25,151   -31.2  269,668   284,762    -5.3
    Maxima             3,399     4,047   -16.0   47,072    52,574   -10.5
    350Z                 567     1,306   -56.6   10,337    18,957   -45.5
    GT-R                 149         0      NA    1,730         0      NA
    Total Car         32,330    43,597   -25.8  513,786   542,258    -5.3
    Frontier           1,402     4,708   -70.2   44,997    64,397   -30.1
    Titan              2,124     4,785   -55.6   34,053    65,746   -48.2
    Xterra             1,622     3,911   -58.5   33,579    51,355   -34.6
    Pathfinder         1,551     4,813   -67.8   33,555    63,056   -46.8
    Armada               932     2,656   -64.9   15,685    31,632   -50.4
    Rogue              6,916     6,288    10.0   73,053    17,808   310.2
    Murano             6,461     4,199    53.9   71,401    76,358    -6.5
    Quest                491     1,943   -74.7   18,252    28,590   -36.2
    Total Truck       21,499    33,303   -35.4  324,575   398,942   -18.6
    North American
     produced         39,736    65,107   -39.0  681,840   828,077   -17.7
    Car               31,614    42,291   -25.2  501,719   523,301    -4.1
    Truck              8,122    22,816   -64.4  180,121   304,776   -40.9
    Import            14,093    11,793    19.5  156,521   113,123    38.4
    Car                  716     1,306   -45.2   12,067    18,957   -36.3
    Truck             13,377    10,487    27.6  144,454    94,166    53.4

    INFINITI DIVISION

                    December  December  Monthly   CYTD     CYTD     CYTD
                       2008     2007    % chg     2008     2007     % chg

    Infiniti Division
     Total             8,273    12,655   -34.6  112,989   127,038   -11.1
    G Sedan            3,929     4,483   -12.4   44,969    54,015   -16.7
    G Coupe            1,053     2,075   -49.3   19,212    17,794     8.0
    M                  1,194     2,462   -51.5   15,618    21,884   -28.6
    Q45                    0         1  -100.0        0        23  -100.0
    QX56                 372     1,316   -71.7    7,657    12,288   -37.7
    EX                   877       305   187.5   12,873       305  4120.7
    FX                   847     2,013   -57.9   12,660    20,724   -38.9
    Total Car          6,177     9,021   -31.5   79,799    93,718   -14.9
    Total Truck        2,096     3,634   -42.3   33,190    33,320    -0.4

    NISSAN & INFINITI

                       Month    Month   Monthly   CYTD    CYTD      CYTD
                        2008     2007    % chg    2008    2007      % chg

    TOTAL VEHICLE     62,102    89,555   -30.7  951,350 1,068,238   -10.9
    Total Car         38,507    52,618   -26.8  593,585   635,976    -6.7
    Total Truck       23,595    36,937   -36.1  357,765   432,262   -17.2
    Selling days          26        26              308       307

    * All numbers include Hawaii; one Infiniti I35 was sold in December 2008.

In December, BMW Group sales in the U.S. (BMW and MINI combined) down by 35.9 percent. Company continued to gain market share in 2008.

WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J., Jan. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- The BMW Group in the U.S. (BMW and MINI combined) reported December sales of 21,626 vehicles, a decrease of 35.9 percent over the 33,761 vehicles sold in December 2007. The BMW Group also reported a 2008 sales volume of 303,190 vehicles, down 9.7 percent, compared to 335,840 vehicles in 2007.

Commenting on the 2008 result, Jim O'Donnell, President of BMW of North America, LLC said:

"Low consumer confidence and tight credit was a double whammy in '08 making it a year we'd all like to forget. One bright spot for us was a December of reasonable sales and gaining share in the premium market for the full year. This is a foundation for our 2009 plan of keeping high value leasing and retail financing and introducing 10 new or significantly refined vehicles in the next 24 months that showcase our classic dynamic values and impressive technology that contributes to our class leading efficiency. This will help manage our way through the immediate turmoil but we'll have an equal focus on doing more of the right things that set us up for the market's return."

BMW Brand Sales

Sales of BMW brand vehicles decreased 40.2 percent in December for a total of 18,060 compared to 30,199 reported in the same month a year ago. In 2008, BMW brand sales were down 15.2 percent, to 249,113 vehicles compared to 293,795 vehicles sold in 2007.

BMW Automobile Sales

BMW's automobile sales are down 40.2 percent in December to 13,796 versus 23,064 in the same month a year ago. In 2008, sales decreased by 15.4 percent, to 195,085 automobiles compared to 230,535 in 2007.

BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Sales

Sales of BMW Sports Activity Vehicles decreased by 40.2 percent in December to 4,264 vehicles over the 7,135 sold last December. In 2008, sales of BMW Sports Activity Vehicles were down 14.6 percent, to 54,028 vehicles compared to the 63,260 sold in 2007.

MINI Brand Sales

MINI USA reported December sales of 3,566 automobiles, up 0.1 percent from the 3,562 cars sold in December 2007. In 2008, the division reported sales of 54,077 automobiles, an increase of 28.6 percent, compared to the 42,045 cars reported in 2007.

"Fuel efficiency and small cars had a big year in 2008 even with low fuel prices slowing down the positive sales development in the past few months," said Jim McDowell, Vice-President of MINI USA. "A balance of rational and emotional reasons are going to be the way of the future to continue small car growth in the U.S. MINI's success in 2008 may be a good indication of this balance."

BMW Certified Pre-Owned

Sales of BMW's Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) vehicles are up 23.4 percent, to 11,719 CPO vehicles versus 9,496 vehicles reported last December. In 2008, CPO sales are up 16.4 percent, to 104,500 over the 89,795 reported in 2007.

BMW Group in America

BMW of North America, LLC has been present in the United States since 1975. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003. The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand of motor vehicles, including motorcycles, the MINI brand, and the Rolls-Royce brand of Motor Cars; DesignworksUSA, an industrial design firm in California; a technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations throughout the country. BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is part of BMW Group's global manufacturing network and is the exclusive manufacturing plant for all X5 Sports Activity Vehicles and X6 Sports Activity Coupes. The BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 338 BMW passenger car centers, 335 BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 142 BMW motorcycle retailers, 83 MINI passenger car dealers, and 30 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers. BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group's sales headquarters for North, Central and South America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.

    Sales BMW of North America, LLC, December 2008

                     Dec. 08   Dec. 07     %   YTD Dec. 08 YTD Dec. 07   %

    1 Series             921         0     N/A     12,018         0     N/A
    3 Series           8,490    12,941   -34.4%   112,464   142,490   -21.1%
    Z4 Roadster and
     Coupe                81     1,029   -92.1%     5,879    10,097   -41.8%
    5 Series           3,699     6,687   -44.7%    45,915    54,142   -15.2%
    6 Series             568       901   -37.0%     6,533     9,033   -27.7%
    7 Series              37     1,506   -97.5%    12,276    14,773   -16.9%
    BMW passenger
     cars             13,796    23,064   -40.2%   195,085   230,535   -15.4%
    --------------    ------    ------   -----    -------   -------   -----
    X3                   960     2,194   -56.2%    17,622    28,058   -37.2%
    X5                 2,872     4,941   -41.9%    31,858    35,202    -9.5%
    X6                   432         0     N/A      4,548         0     N/A
    BMW light trucks
     (SAVs)            4,264     7,135   -40.2%    54,028    63,260   -14.6%
    --------------     -----     -----   -----     ------    ------   -----
    BMW brand         18,060    30,199   -40.2%   249,113   293,795   -15.2%
    ---------         ------    ------   -----    -------   -------   -----
    Cooper /
     S Hardtop         2,518     3,035   -17.0%    36,916    34,247     7.8%
    Cooper /
     S Convertible        78       527   -85.2%     4,880     7,798   -37.4%
    Cooper /
     S Clubman           970         0     N/A     12,281         0     N/A
    MINI brand         3,566     3,562     0.1%    54,077    42,045    28.6%
    ---------         ------    ------   -----    -------   -------   -----
    TOTAL BMW of
     North America,
      LLC             21,626    33,761   -35.9%   303,190   335,840    -9.7%
    ---------         ------    ------   -----    -------   -------   -----

Rio, Optima, and Rondo Sales Each Up More Than 9 Percent for 2008

IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Kia Motors America (KMA) today announced December sales of 14,644 units with 2008 sales of 273,397 units. Passenger cars have led the way in 2008, with Rio, Optima and Rondo all posting more than 9-percent increases for the year. December sales were led by Sorento posting an 88.7-percent increase over the same period last year.

2009 Product Line

Kia Motors America offers a dynamic and diverse product line of 11 vehicles to meet the needs of all lifestyles. The 2009 vehicle line features the functional Rondo CUV and award-winning Sedona minivan along with a wide variety of popular passenger cars, including the refined Amanti full size sedan, purposeful Optima mid size sedan, versatile and compact Spectra and Spectra5, and sporty yet fuel-efficient Rio and Rio5 subcompacts. The vehicle line also features the all-new and affordably luxurious Borrego, rugged Sorento and value-packed Sportage SUVs. The Soul will further complement the lineup when it arrives in dealerships this spring.

About Kia Motors America

Kia Motors America (KMA) is the sales, marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea. KMA offers a complete line of vehicles through more than 640 dealers throughout the United States. Kia Motors subscribes to a philosophy of building high value, high quality, safe and dynamic vehicles. Kia Motors prides itself on producing vehicles that are exciting and enabling and evoke the Kia tagline "The Power to Surprise."

Kia Motors America is the "Official Automotive Partner of the NBA." Information about Kia Motors America and its full vehicle line-up is available at its Web site - www.kia.com. For media information, including photography, visit www.kiamedia.com.

                   MONTH OF DECEMBER             YEAR-TO-DATE
    Model           2008        2007          2008          2007
    Rio            1,785       2,910        36,532         33,370
    Spectra        2,720       6,688        68,465         73,474
    Optima         1,410       3,235        44,904         40,901
    Amanti           194         125         3,614          5,522
    Sportage       2,182       5,109        32,754         49,393
    Sorento        3,087       1,636        29,699         36,300
    Sedona         1,971       2,493        26,915         40,493
    Rondo          1,056       1,872        28,645         26,020
    Borrego          239         n/a         1,869            n/a

    Total         14,644      24,068       273,397        305,473

- Record Sales for Impreza, Legacy and Forester lines -

CHERRY HILL, N.J., Jan. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Subaru of America today announced a 0.3% sales increase for full-year 2008 sales over 2007. Driven by record results for its Impreza, Legacy and Forester model lines, Subaru was the only full-line brand with positive sales through November 2008. (Full-year results for other makers are not known at time of posting).

The year-over-year sales increase adds to the good news the company enjoyed in 2008: the Subaru Forester was named 2009 Motor Trend Sport/Utility of the Year and the company was awarded the title Automotive Marketer of the Year by Mediapost.com and the brand has performed well in Kelley Blue Book and ALG ratings.

Subaru has also announced it will show a Concept Legacy Sedan at the upcoming North American International Auto Show (Jan. 11, 2009) to showcase a potential direction for the model that celebrates 20 years of U.S. sales and production in 2009.

Tim Colbeck, vice president of sales for Subaru of America said, "To post increased sales for the year the Industry has just experienced reflects the strength of our products, our dealers and the Subaru brand. In a difficult market we were able to establish new sales records for Forester, Impreza and Legacy sedan and also record our highest market share ever."

Tom Doll, executive vice president for Subaru of America said, "Our 2008 sales results are tribute not only to our product offerings, but also to the commitment, perseverance and dedication of our retail sales network. Our strategy was to concentrate on building our brand image and also to leverage the value, performance and utility of our products rather than focus on "selling the deal", and that strategy has allowed us to significantly outperform the market."

                  December                   December YTD
               2008     2007    %chg       2008       2007    %chg
    Legacy     1824     2066   -11.7%     22596      21094     7.1%
    Outback*   4067     5831   -30.3%     44280      57334   -22.8%
    Impreza    4192     5376   -22.0%     49098      46333     6.0%
    Forester   6499     3992    62.8%     60748      44530    36.4%
    Tribeca     705     1471   -52.1%     10975      16790   -34.6%
    Baja          0        3  -100.0%         2       1127   -99.8%
    Total    17,287   18,739    -7.7%   187,699    187,208     0.3%

    * Includes Legacy Wagon

About Subaru of America, Inc.

Subaru of America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of nearly 600 dealers across the United States. Subaru makes the best-selling All-Wheel Drive car sold in America based on R.L. Polk & Co. new vehicle retail registration statistics calendar year-end 2007. In addition, Subaru boasts the most fuel efficient line-up of all-wheel drive products sold in the market today based on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fuel economy standards. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill production plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc. is the only U.S. automobile production plant to be designated a backyard wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. For additional information visit www.subaru.com.

Contact:

Michael McHale

Subaru of America, Inc.

856-488-3326

[email protected]

Heather Ward

Subaru of America, Inc.

856-488-5093

[email protected]

- All Jeep® brand vehicles achieved sales growth over November 2008

- Chrysler Town and Country sales increased nine percent and Dodge Grand Caravan sales grew 14 percent compared to November 2008

- Dodge Ram light duty pickup sales rose ten percent versus November 2008

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Jan. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Chrysler LLC today reported total December 2008 U.S. sales of 89,813 units, up five percent versus November 2008 (85,260 units), and down 53 percent from the same month in 2007. For the year, Chrysler, Jeep® and Dodge U.S. sales decreased 30 percent (1,453,122 units) compared to total 2007 sales (2,076,650 units). Total sales were significantly affected by the industry's largest reductions in fleet sales, 63 percent for December and 31 percent for the year.

"Last year Chrysler and all of our stakeholders persevered through extraordinarily difficult economic conditions, made the necessary adjustments and always kept our focus on serving our customers," said Jim Press, President and Vice Chairman, Chrysler LLC. "As a result, our Company and our dealer network start this year stronger and better positioned to succeed in today's marketplace."

"From a customer perspective, we see consumers selecting vehicles based on their long-term transportation needs and committing to keeping vehicles for longer periods. As a result, characteristics such as utility, flexibility, efficiency and quality will grow in importance. In terms of product focus, Chrysler will continue to invest in quality and fuel efficiency improvements on its current lineup, while developing all-new vehicles for the next generation. From an organizational viewpoint, we will work with all of our stakeholders to continue the restructuring our Company. We have a special bond with the American people now and pledge to continue our efforts to provide the best quality and best value in the marketplace. We are committed to help drive America forward."

December Sales Highlights

-- All Jeep brand vehicles achieved sales growth over November 2008 sales. Jeep Wrangler, the brand's top-selling model, marked sales growth of 15 percent (7,048 units) over November.

-- Sales of the Jeep Patriot were up six percent in December (2,597 units) compared to November 2008. Year-to-date, Patriot sales grew 38 percent to reach 55,654 units.

-- Minivan sales gained momentum over November. Chrysler Town and Country sales in December grew nine percent (8,152 units) and Dodge Grand Caravan sales increased 14 percent (6,927 units).

-- Dodge Ram light duty pickup sales were up 10 percent (10,601 units) compared to November 2008, fueled by the availability of the all-new 2009 Dodge Ram.

-- The Company finished the month with 397,569 units of inventory, or a 115-day supply. Inventory is down nine percent compared with December 2007, when it totaled 438,390 units.

January Incentives

Chrysler continues to offer customers highly competitive discount and financing programs to kick off 2009. In addition to offering discounts of up to $6,000 on 2008 MY vehicles and up to $3,000 on 2009 MY vehicles to all customers, the Company is also working with Chrysler Financial and additional financing companies around the country to create packages that offer customers a wide range of options for lease and purchase financing. On select 2008 models, 0% financing is available for 72 months, and rates as low as 1.9% APR are available on select 2009 models.

For the new year, Chrysler has entered into a partnership with Credit Unions across the nation to offer an additional $500 to $1,000 discount when any of the 90 million members of Credit Unions purchase or lease a new Chrysler, Jeep or Dodge vehicle. This program was successfully piloted in December in 12 states.

              Chrysler LLC U.S. Sales Summary Thru December 2008

                                                  Month Sales           Vol %
                    Model                    Curr Yr       Pr Yr      Change
    Sebring                                    3,572        9,274       -61%
    300                                        3,707        9,950       -63%
    Crossfire                                    110          180       -39%
    PT Cruiser                                 1,823        9,738       -81%
    Aspen                                      1,515        3,022       -50%
    Pacifica                                     574        2,009       -71%
    Town & Country                             8,152       14,211       -43%
        CHRYSLER BRAND                        19,453       48,384       -60%
    Compass                                    1,225        3,295       -63%
    Patriot                                    2,597        4,987       -48%
    Wrangler                                   7,048        9,007       -22%
    Liberty                                    4,529        9,941       -54%
    Grand Cherokee                             5,504       11,753       -53%
    Commander                                  2,188        5,821       -62%
        JEEP BRAND                            23,091       44,804       -48%
    Caliber                                    2,896        8,851       -67%
    Avenger                                    2,050        8,146       -75%
    Charger                                    5,414       11,115       -51%
    Challenger                                 2,602            0         0%
    Viper                                        152           46       230%
    Magnum                                        31        2,278       -99%
    Dakota                                     1,701        2,873       -41%
    Ram P/U                                   16,618       32,118       -48%
    Journey                                    4,275          109      3822%
    Caravan                                    6,927       21,217       -67%
    Durango                                    1,435        2,480       -42%
    Nitro                                      2,036        7,350       -72%
    Sprinter                                   1,132        1,652       -31%
        DODGE BRAND                           47,269       98,235       -52%

        TOTAL CHRYSLER LLC                    89,813      191,423       -53%

              TOTAL CAR                       20,535       50,273       -59%
              TOTAL TRUCK                     69,278      141,150       -51%
    Selling Days                                  26           26

                                                  Sales CYTD            Vol %
                    Model                     Curr Yr       Pr Yr     Change
    Sebring                                    71,663       93,130      -23%
    300                                        62,352      120,636      -48%
    Crossfire                                   2,021        8,774      -77%
    PT Cruiser                                 50,910       99,585      -49%
    Aspen                                      22,254       28,788      -23%
    Pacifica                                    7,345       53,947      -86%
    Town & Country                            118,563      138,151      -14%
        CHRYSLER BRAND                        335,108      543,011      -38%
    Compass                                    25,349       39,491      -36%
    Patriot                                    55,654       40,434       38%
    Wrangler                                   84,615      119,243      -29%
    Liberty                                    66,911       92,105      -27%
    Grand Cherokee                             73,678      120,937      -39%
    Commander                                  27,694       63,027      -56%
        JEEP BRAND                            333,901      475,237      -30%
    Caliber                                    84,158      101,079      -17%
    Avenger                                    61,963       83,804      -26%
    Charger                                    97,367      119,289      -18%
    Challenger                                 17,423            0        0%
    Viper                                       1,172          435      169%
    Magnum                                      6,912       30,256      -77%
    Dakota                                     26,044       50,702      -49%
    Ram P/U                                   245,840      358,295      -31%
    Journey                                    47,097          109    43108%
    Caravan                                   123,749      176,041      -30%
    Durango                                    21,420       45,503      -53%
    Nitro                                      36,368       74,825      -51%
    Sprinter                                   14,600       16,586      -12%
        DODGE BRAND                           784,113    1,058,402      -26%

        TOTAL CHRYSLER LLC                  1,453,122    2,076,650      -30%

              TOTAL CAR                       406,125      569,859      -29%
              TOTAL TRUCK                   1,046,997    1,506,791      -31%
    Selling Days                                  308          307

CYPRESS, Calif., Jan. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Mitsubishi Motors today announced December 2008 sales of 4,570.

Highlights include:

• Galant was the volume leader in December, at 1,214, up 20 percent for the month compared to December 2007. Galant sales finished the year up 1.7 percent compared to calendar year 2007.
• Eclipse Spyder convertible sales were up 31 percent in December, compared to the same month a year ago.
• Lancer Evolution sales finished 2008 with a 50.9% increase for the year.

Overall Mitsubishi December sales were down 22.6 percent compared to December 2007.

Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc., (MMNA) is responsible for all manufacturing, finance, sales, marketing, research and development operations for Mitsubishi Motors in the United States. MMNA sells coupes, convertibles, sedans, sport utility vehicles, and light trucks through a network of more than 440 dealers. For more information, contact the Mitsubishi Motors News Bureau at (888) 560-6672 or visit media.mitsubishicars.com.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mitsubishi (MMNA) 2008 Sales total: 97,257

See I'm the opposite: I much prefer democratic local and national, but prefer conservative state. I will vote for a progressive conservative, though. Those tend to be the Republicans accused of being "crazy liberals" by their own party, though, and rarely win.

You might change your mind once you become a home owner. I did. :AH-HA_wink:

Well, he did clarify his comment by reducing it to Seattle, instead of all of Washington. The overall point he was getting at was that Olympia is very liberal, which is why Eastern Washington feels ignored.

To illustrate how influential Seattle's political standing is in the state of Washington, this was a sign used during the 2008 governor election:

A friend of mine saw a similar sign to the one above in Spokane, but they were scattered throughout Eastern Washington. The incumbent, Governor Gregoire still won (thankfully.) Rossi actually lives on the Eastside. You'd think I would have voted for him, but I prefer a Democratic state & federal government and a conservative/Republican local government. Go figure.

If it means anything, the mayor of Seattle has finally caved in due to the pressure. Salt will be used if Seattle accumulates more than 4" of snow.

Bobo is more reliable than a Buick! Cheers to you for keeping up a tradition that all of us look forward to!

Happy New Year everyone! I hope 2009 treats all of us better than 2008. This has been an extremely difficult year the world over. At this moment, change is as desirable as a complimentary Diaka martini adorned with gold flakes.

I look forward to all of us gathering here next year relishing the accomplishments 2009 brought us!

a legit question. you are a casual car fan with money to burn and want to buy detroit iron.

CTS or MKs?

The CTS is more stimulating, but honestly, a case can be made that many of the masses might sway towards an MKs because it is more vanilla.

I automatically lean toward the MKS-type of cars. My partner falls much more in line with the CTS. The interesting part is that we both equally like the MKS and CTS. Test drives would make the decision between them easier, but it was amazing (to me) for us both to walk away from Seattle's auto show back in November with that impression.

I guess I was wrong about the purse strings not opening.

It will be interesting to see if that just gets them into the same trouble again. Not that it was a lot of trouble really, what with Uncle Sam ready to clean up the mess.

I thought GMAC's problems were with mortgages, not auto loans? Lowering credit score requirements for approving auto loans shouldn't lead GMAC down the same path of darkness.

I think this makes sense. Opel is a solid brand between Chevrolet & Cadillac. Buick is too (much more so than Saturn is or ever will be.)

What's that I hear? The sound of Saturn flatlining?

Are you suggesting a new trim level for Saturn? Red Line, Green Line, Flat Line?

Thanks for the review! Good write-up. I'm very interested in test driving the MKS myself.

Look at a Congressional map, and you will see quite a few red districts. Check your facts.

Croc, BuddyP is correct. Most of the state's population (WA State approx 6.5 million) is west of the Cascades. Half of the state's population is just in the tri-county area alone (Pierce/King/Snohomish = 3.3 million.) In fact, I believe King County alone has a larger population than all of Eastern Washington. Another point, the rest of the state lacks the financial resources to match the tri-county area as well.

Speaking politically, the state is technically divided in two (West & East.) There have been several attempts over the years to propose splitting Eastern and Western Washington into two separate states, but none of them ever seem to gain much traction.