General Motors China sales continue rapid growth, up 25% in 1st quarter
General Motors has been on the upswing in their home market lately, at least compared to Ford and Chrysler, but its US performance pales compared to the automaker's action in China. General Motors China just released their first quarter sales figures and they are up twenty-five percent compared to 2006. For the second time in 2007, March sales cracked the 100,000 unit barrier. GM's total market share in China now stands at 13.9%, 0.5% more than last year. Buick remains the dominant brand in the Chinese stable with 82,195 cars out the door and Cadillac also jumped 62% in the quarter to 1,797 cars, thanks in part to the new SLS long wheelbase derivative of the STS. The GM press release is after the jump.
[Source: General Motors]
GM Sales in China Jump 25%, Top 290,000 Units in Q1 2007
Shanghai, China – General Motors China announced today that GM and its joint ventures in mainland China sold 291,588 vehicles in the first three months of 2007, representing a year-on-year increase of 25.0 percent.
GM benefited from especially strong sales in March of 100,538 vehicles. It was the second time this year and the second time in GM's history in which monthly sales broke the 100,000-unit mark. This helped drive GM's first-quarter market share in China to an estimated 13.9 percent, an increase of 0.5 percent on an annual basis.
"Coming off a record year in 2006, China's vehicle market has remained remarkably strong thus far in 2007. The key once again is demand for passenger cars, which has showed no signs of slowing," said Kevin Wale, President and Managing Director of the GM China Group.
"Despite a greater selection of competitive products than ever before, GM and our joint ventures continued to outpace the market in the first quarter," said Wale. "We are pleased with sales of many of our established products such as the Buick Excelle and Buick GL8 and many of our newer models such as the Cadillac SLS and next-generation Chevrolet Epica."
Shanghai GM's first-quarter sales rose 26.5 percent from a year earlier to 113,768 vehicles. Sales of SAIC-GM-Wuling's lineup of mini-vehicles increased 24.0 percent from a year earlier to 177,077 units.
GM's flagship brand, Buick, registered sales growth of 25.3 percent year on year to 82,195 vehicles, with the Excelle family remaining its best-selling model. Sales of products from Chevrolet, GM's second mainstream brand in China, rose 19.0 percent to 41,144 vehicles in the first quarter. The Chevrolet Spark enjoyed its second-highest monthly sales ever of 4,428 units in March, while the new Chevrolet Epica generated sales of 3,629 units in its single month on the market in March. GM's luxury nameplate, Cadillac, had sales growth of 62.2 percent in the first quarter to 1,797 units.
General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world's largest automaker, has been the global industry sales leader for 76 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 280,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 33 countries. In 2006, nearly 9.1 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn and Vauxhall. 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.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
DPC car videos 3:11PM (4/03/2007)
Maybe in a few years Toyota, Honda, Mazda will be our domestic cars and Ford, GM, Chrysler with be our import cars.
http://www.dpccars.com
DPCcars
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Bob 3:19PM (4/03/2007)
#1 ....that will probably happen. Since Lexus can not sell anything in the own country. Only lazy fat Americans think Toyota is the best thing since sliced bread.
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Mr. Oak 3:23PM (4/03/2007)
Aw Shucks!! This further delays Toyota ascension to the Numero Uno spot. Damned Chinese, If only they'd forgive Japan for invading them.
The next three years are going to be interesting. GM is gathering steam on the home market, Chevrolet and Hummer becoming global brands.
Can't wait for the release of the CTS this summer. Lots of 300Cs coming up on the end of their leases.
To those of you that were ready to hand Toyota the title, Phooey!!
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Michael Karesh 3:46PM (4/03/2007)
GM is doing well in China. But the absolute numbers are too small to help it retain the #1 spot. We're talking about roughly 30,000 more sales than last year. Good, but a drop in the bucket in the GM-Toyota competition.
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Realist 4:05PM (4/03/2007)
"GM is gathering steam on the home market"
Hate to break it to you pal, but GM sales went down 7.7% in March.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070403/ap_on_bi_ge/auto_sales_13
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Mr. Oak 4:00PM (4/03/2007)
Michael K. ----> I truly believe that the CTS will be the silver bullet here in the US. If the car is as well executed as we've been told, you could see stronger numbers than the 300C when it was let out of the gate.
Wish they would expedite the coupe and wagon.
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EnviroBob 4:21PM (4/03/2007)
GM's N.A. passenger car sales were up 2.3%, even with the reduction in fleet sales. How much of Toyota's increase was due to their greater volume of low margin fleet sales? GM has been constantly ridiculed for having been a primary supplier to rental car companies. GM weens itself from that market and Toyota steps in. I suppose being branded as a plebian rental car will do wonders for the Camry's re-sale value.
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Bryan 4:35PM (4/03/2007)
Glad to hear it. I highly doubt you are correct #1 and #2, GM and Ford's comeback are on track. See this link for Fords sales of the Fusion triplets and Edge. Looks like Ford really does have a plan and its working well.
http://www.blueovalnews.com/index.php?categoryid=9&p2_articleid=518
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Bryan 4:44PM (4/03/2007)
Oh forgot to add Mazda saw a 47.9% sales increase. Could people finally be realizing Mazda is better than Toyota and Honda?
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Mr. Oak 4:44PM (4/03/2007)
The true shocker for me, is how well the current edition Impala has been doing. Not rental Impalas, but Impalas have been seen grazing in the suburbs in increasing numbers.
Two years ago any Impalas seen in my neighborhood, would have been a rental. Not so today.
An interior upgrade would greatly benefit this car along while we wait on the RWD Impalas.
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Mr. Oak 4:59PM (4/03/2007)
Oh forgot to add Mazda saw a 47.9% sales increase. Could people finally be realizing Mazda is better than Toyota and Honda?
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A better bargin Yes. A better car I don't know. My last car was a 626. Yes it had transmission issues too, as did my wife's neice's 626 six months earlier.
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Andy 5:09PM (4/03/2007)
#3. I know your comment is tongue-in-cheek, but isn't this how free markets should work? People should be allowed to buy the cars that suits them. There are no doubt Chinese who are scolding their peers for not 'buying Chinese,' but let the market, not the government, determine what products sell.
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Bryan 5:37PM (4/03/2007)
Mr. Oak that car hasnt been produced in sometime, and Mazdas have gotten better. You might have just had some lemons because I have a few friends with Mazdas and all have been relatively good. Mazda offers the most stylish Japanese cars in the US by far, as well as the best handling in their respective segments. You can argue the trany issue, but Honda had much more of a problem than mazda with tranys. In any event, it looks as if Ford is on the right track, as well as its other brands. Maybe people will cut Fields and Mulally a little slack, though most of the credit for now should be with Fields since he was there to oversee the newest products.
As far as Impalas..I like the current one much better than the last generation. The last one was a turd. On styling alone I can see why more garages are being filled with them, not to mention the much improved interior over the last one.
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don 8:13PM (4/03/2007)
The only thing autoblog forgets to tell you is that it is a joint venture and GM owns 50% and Shanghi auto owns the other half.
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Richard Warren 10:25PM (4/03/2007)
I've said it before, I'll say it again, don't count the General out just yet----
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whofan 11:39PM (4/03/2007)
"Mazda offers the most stylish Japanese cars in the US by far, as well as the best handling in their respective segments. You can argue the trany issue, but Honda had much more of a problem than mazda with tranys. In any event, it looks as if Ford is on the right track, as well as its other brands."
I agree 100% with this. But if styling and handling had anything to do with success. How can you explain Toyota? I can`t figure it out. Most people who buy cars I guess, don`t know what a dipstick is.
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