GM Breaks 21 Month Losing Streak; Sales up 4% in October

Paul Niedermeyer
by Paul Niedermeyer

In its first year-over-year sales increase since January 2008, GM posted a 4% increase in October, and estimates a 21% market share. The four core brands (Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac), which now account for 95% of GM sales, were up 11.6%. Year-to-date totals are down 34%.

Cadillac led the way with a 22% increase, reflecting a 280% increase of the new SRX. CTS was down 27%; STS: -44%; DTS: +19%.

GMC had the second highest increase, with a 20% increase. Terrain: +85%; Sierra: +6%; Acadia: +7%; Yukon/Yukon XL: +72%

Buick came in with a 19% increase, led by LaCrosse, beating its last year’s sales by 103%. Enclave: 38%; Lucerne: -28%

Chevrolet brought up the rear, with a 9% increase. Aveo is still lagging, down 54%. Impala also dragged, down 43%. Malibu was up 11%. Camaro sold just over 8k units, continuing its lead in the pony car field. The new Equinox was up 177%; Colorado: -32%; Traverse sold over 9k units. Silverado pickups held even; Tahoe: +111%; Suburban: +72%.

Paul Niedermeyer
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  • Lokkii Lokkii on Nov 04, 2009
    Gee,my buddy that started out with a coffee truck buisness 40 years ago,and now owns a 18 hole golf course’worth millions. Seems the obivious idiot was dumb enough to drop cash down for a new YUKON. Mikey - I HATE this particular argument so I'm going to call you on it: "Rich people got rich because they're smart and so therefore they only buy good things". I had a tightwad boss who used to go on and on and on about Sam Walton and how Sam drove an old pickup truck. I finally had to tell him that because Sam was rich, he could afford to have a truck that might give him some trouble now and then. He was never going to be without a ride, and he could afford to fix anything that went wrong without being inconvenienced. Burn a hole in the upholstry with a cigarette? Hell, just buy a new front seat. Transmission shifting a little rough? Buy a new one. The same can be said of your rich friend. As proof of this hypothesis, I offer the number of truly rich people who own Land Rovers... the biggest POS to leave England since...since.... maybe ever, but maybe only since the Triumph TR-7.
  • HEATHROI HEATHROI on Nov 04, 2009

    gee Mikey does your friend own a boat as well? then he would have completed the trifecta of really expensive toys. (whoops I missed the house in Florida).

  • KixStart KixStart on Nov 04, 2009

    mikey, The number of truly wealthy people who buy Yukons is fairly small... Yukon sales are derived from leasing and loans and go to people who ought to be saving their money. Too many people are p!ss!ng away money they don't have on things they don't need and which don't offer good value in return. That's a big part of how we got into the current mess and more Yukon sales are not a hopeful sign for the future. Yukon sales, by the way, are basically a promissory note for expanded future gasoline purchases (written, unfortunately, in gallons not a fixed dollar amount) to foreign oil producers.

  • ZoomZoom ZoomZoom on Nov 04, 2009
    Mikey Said: Gee,my buddy that started out with a coffee truck buisness 40 years ago,and now owns a 18 hole golf course’worth millions. Seems the obivious idiot was dumb enough to drop cash down for a new YUKON. Lokkii Responded: Mikey – I HATE this particular argument so I’m going to call you on it: “Rich people got rich because they’re smart and so therefore they only buy good things”. ----- I agree. For all we know, Mikey's friend may be more indebted than he is smart. Or he could be a founder of an as-yet undiscovered Ponzi scheme...we just don't have enough facts to know either way. I'm over people and their so-called fame and fortune. I've grown up over the years and today I'm not automatically impressed by anybody just because they spend a lot of money on cars or because they have three homes, two boats, a tour bus or an amusement park in their front yard. I'm certainly not about to assume that they're "smart" or that they're somebody I'd want to emulate, not even if they are famous, rich, or just talk a good game. Call it a "healthy skepticism".
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