Strong Truck Sales Lead To A 45.8% Sales Jump In February For GM

General Motors total sales in the United States rose 49 percent in February, as dealers reported 207,028 deliveries for the company’s four brands. For the second month in a row, the gain in total sales was driven by soaring retail demand for the company’s products. During the month, retail sales rose 70 percent – the highest year-over-year gain in the company’s history.

For the first two months of the year, GM’s total sales have risen 36 percent, while the company’s retail sales – those to individual consumers – have increased by 52 percent.

Retail sales of GM’s cars, trucks and crossovers all rose at least 59 percent or more during the month, up 76 percent, 74 percent and 59 percent, respectively.

“Our plan was to get off to a quick start this year, and we did just that,” said Don Johnson, vice president, U.S. Sales Operations.  “Having the right vehicles in inventory, combined with aggressive advertising and targeted consumer marketing has been the key to our success in the first two months this year.”

Newest Vehicles Lead Gains, More Than Doubling During February

Combined sales for GM’s newest vehicles – Chevrolet Equinox, Silverado HD, Cruze and Volt; Buick LaCrosse and Regal; GMC Sierra HD and Terrain; and Cadillac SRX, CTS Wagon and CTS Coupe – increased 66 percent, while retail sales surged 119 percent for the month, compared to February 2010.

Passenger Cars

Total sales of GM passenger cars improved 40 percent during February, led by the sale of 18,556 Chevrolet Cruzes. Retail sales of GM passenger cars rose 76 percent for the month, with Cruze retail sales 212 percent higher than the compact car it replaced. Strong retail sales of the all-new Cadillac CTS Coupe helped propel CTS retail sales to a record high for the month of February, up 159 percent versus a year ago. The Buick Regal had its best month since launch, recording 3,541 retail sales.

Crossovers

February total sales for GM’s industry-leading lineup of fuel-efficient crossovers were the best ever for the month, increasing 57 percent versus February 2010. Each of GM’s most popular crossovers set a record for retail sales for the month of February – Chevrolet Equinox (up 98 percent) and Traverse (up 32 percent); GMC Terrain (up 76 percent) and Acadia (up 25 percent); Buick Enclave (45 percent); and Cadillac SRX (up 62 percent). Combined retail sales for these models rose 58 percent during the month, compared to last year’s month.

Pickups and Utilities

Total sales of GM’s full-size pickup trucks – Chevrolet Silverado and Avalanche, and GMC Sierra – improved 65 percent in February versus a year ago, with retail sales rising 83 percent. Total sales of GM full-size utilities – Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe, GMC Yukon and Yukon XL, and Cadillac Escalade – rose 50 percent during the month, with combined retail sales improving 52 percent.

Month-end dealer inventory in the United States stood at about 517,000 units, which is about 7,000 higher compared to January and about 101,000 higher than February 2010.

Brand Key Facts:

• Chevrolet : Chevrolet dealers delivered 142,919 total vehicles in February, a 43-percent increase versus last year. Retail sales for Chevrolet rose 69 percent and were propelled by improving Cruze sales, which were 212 percent higher than the compact car it replaces. Silverado retail sales rose 84 percent, while Equinox posted its best February ever, with retail sales almost doubling, up 98 percent ( read more ).
• Buick : Buick reported 15,807 total sales, a 73-percent increase compared to February 2010. This includes a 90-percent surge in year-over-year retail sales, led by Regal (3,541 units), Enclave and LaCrosse, which had retail sales 45 and 28 percent higher than last year, respectively. This marks the 17th consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains for the brand ( read more ).
• GMC : GMC reported total sales of 32,534, a 59-percent increase compared to the same month last yea r. Thi s marks the 17th consecutive month of year-over-year sales increases. Retail sales were 61 percent higher than last year, spurred by Sierra, Terrain, Yukon and Acadia – up 87 percent, 76 percent, 63 percent and 25 percent, respectively ( read more ) .
• Cadillac : Cadillac reported total sales of 15,768 for February – 70 percent higher than last February, with retail sales increasing 83 percent. February was the 13th consecutive month of year-over-year total and retail sales gains. CTS retail sales rose 159 percent, driven by strong demand for the all-new CTS Coupe and Sedan. SRX retail sales were up 62 percent compared to a year ago, and the Escalade family saw retail sale rise 27 percent versus February last year ( read more ).
• Fleet sales for GM’s four brands were 43,900 for the month, a 2-percent increase for the month, with sales to rental fleets down 5 percent during the same period. Sales to commercial customers rose 19 percent for the month, the 11th consecutive month of commercial fleet sales gains. Fleet accounted for 21 percent of GM total sales during the month.  

Joe_Limon - 3/1/2011 12:12:11 PM

-1 Boost

that's huge!

bfghemicuda - 3/1/2011 6:39:43 PM

-2 Boost

American trucks are the best. Ram was up 50% YTD

LJ745 - 3/1/2011 7:24:33 PM

+1 Boost

Hey great! It only took them $45 billion in government handouts to produce a line of cars that is almost with the times. Great job. Just think what Toyota, Honda, or Hyundai could have done with $45 billion. In fact, that would have been the smart investment for our government, then we might have actually made some money on the deal.

bfghemicuda - 3/2/2011 10:58:02 AM

+1 Boost

The US Government did give Toyota, Honda and Hyundai Handouts when they did Cash for Clunkers.

bfghemicuda - 3/2/2011 12:55:53 PM

0 Boost

nonofyobus, Fact remains Cash for clunkers was still a handout. Toyota, Honda and Hyundia beneffited from US tax dollars.

bfghemicuda - 3/2/2011 10:55:53 AM

+3 Boost

BD if you are correct, That 3600 units will cost the US tax payers $27,000,000.00 with money we don't have.

LJ745 - 3/2/2011 1:41:48 PM

+2 Boost

Yeah, but cash for clunkers was a choice that I got to make about what car I wanted to buy. It wasn't an involuntary fleecing of the American taxpayer the way the GM bailout was.

GM only could go up from where sales were this time a year ago. I mean, the company was on the edge of bankruptcy and would have gone under if not for the bailout.

No one is going to buy a volt for $40,000 until gas reaches something in the neighborhood of $9 per gallon. Until then, the Volt is still more expensive than buying a similarly sized 4 banger. And, as was pointed out, the Volt is subsidized by the U.S. government, making the actual cost to all of us even higher than sticker price. What a crock. We should have let GM go down. That is the nature of competition. When you can't compete any longer, you die. GM should have been left to die. Imagine if that $45 billion had been invested in something else, like Tesla Motors, which actually makes a good electric car.

AgentOrange - 3/2/2011 4:52:27 PM

-2 Boost

Wow, the Chevrolet Motor Division, by itself, outsold all of Toyota..
Way to go GM.
All the anti-bailouters gotta be crying in their beer again tonight...