Autoblog

In its report on first-quarter worldwide sales, General Motors made a point of highlighting the success of HUMMER and Saab as part of its 4.4 percent growth overall. The two brands have attracted criticism in recent months, notably from board member Jerry York who suggested in January that the company dump both marques.

HUMMER sales grew 202 percent over last year, largely on the strength of the new H3. While most of the growth occurred in the U.S., the company reported strong results in Canada and the Middle East, with further growth in overseas sales expected with the availability of a right-hand drive H3 later this year.

Saab sales set an all-time record, up 23.2 percent worldwide over last year, boosted by the launch of its 2.8-liter V6 turbo powerplant and its 9-5 BioPower (Sweden's best-selling ethanol vehicle). With its model lineup undergoing expansion over the last couple of years (9-7x, 9-2x, etc.) that's somewhat predictable, but still welcome news. Now, if they could just make a profit.

[Sources:Tradingmarkets.com, GM]