GM sales up 21%

[NINETY EIGHT REGENCY]

GM sales up 21%

Robert Snell / The Detroit News

General Motors Co. said today its vehicle sales jumped 21 percent sales in the U.S. last month, led by a 76 percent increase for its Buick brand.

GM's report is expected to be followed by a string of sales spikes today, as other automakers announce March sales results.

Last month, sales of GM's four core brands -- Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac -- spiked 43 percent, for total sales of 185,406 vehicles, and the Detroit automaker posted its sixth consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains.

GMC sales climbed 45 percent last month, Cadillac 42 percent and Chevrolet 41 percent.

"Our March results show continued progress toward our growth plan," said Susan Docherty, GM's vice president of marketing. "By investing in our brands and remaining disciplined in our approach to the U.S. market, we posted solid results."

Although Toyota Motor Corp. has boosted incentives to combat big recalls that prompted U.S. safety regulators to order a brief halt in sales of its most popular models, the Japanese automaker is expected to post about a 40 percent increase in sales.

Ford Motor Co. also is expected to announce double-digit spikes in sales.

Reflecting the improvement, consumer Web site Edmunds.com forecasts March's seasonally adjusted annualized rate last month climbed to 12.4 million, up from 10.3 million a month earlier.

Come back to www.detnews.com for updates throughout the day.

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20100401/AUTO01/4010438/1148/GM-sales-up-21-#ixzz0jrg8xTfu

[NINETY EIGHT REGENCY]

General Motors reporting strong March sales for core brands

04/01/2010, 11:29 AMBY MARK KLEIS

GM has begun announcing sales figures for March, with Buick leading the way with a 76 percent increase in sales. Overall, GM says its core brands increased sales by 43 percent compared to last year, with total unit sales of 185,406.

As GM is still in the middle of its monthly sales call, live on location in New York, they have begun to release strong increases across their core brands, particularly with Buick posting a 76 percent jump in sales. When accounting for the now defunct brands, GM’s total monthly sales increase over March 2009 came in at 20.6 percent.

GM says that March makes their sixth consecutive month of year-over-year sales increases with their four core brands, with a 43 percent combined increase in sales across Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac. Compared to February 2010, the sales are 34 percent higher, highlighting the strong sales jump in a more recent conditions.

GM says that it achieved sales increases with incentives that were slightly below the industry average for the month of March. GM pointed out that their six new products in 2010 accounted for the majority of their sales, consuming six out of 10 sales in the month of March.

“Our new vehicles, like the Chevrolet Equinox, Buick LaCrosse, GMC Terrain, and Cadillac SRX, are being well-received by customers for many good reasons, including quality, safety, excellent fuel economy, and higher resale values,” said Susan Docherty, GM vice president of marketing.

Chevrolet reported total sales of 133,165 units – a 41 percent bump over March 2009. Chevy relied heavily on the strong-selling Equinox, with sales up 194 percent.

As a result of the strong sales for March, GM says it will be increasing shifts, including at the CAMI Automotive plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, which produces the Chevrolet Equinox.

“This increased capacity for the Equinox is exactly what the doctor ordered,” said Alan Batey, U.S. vice president, Chevrolet sales. “This will help us get more vehicles on our dealers’ lots and offer customers more choice – a winning solution all the way around.”

link:

http://www.leftlanenews.com/general-motors-reporting-strong-march-sales-for-core-brands.html

[daves87rs]

While great- If people wanted a GM car, they had to go somewhere...so I'm sure that hepled.

Granted, the product is really, finally able to sell itself.

[RjION]

GOOD NEWS