GM Reports June Sales; 70K Over Toyota; Truck Sales Down 17%; Mkt Share +2 Points

[Firebird00]

If in fact GM is weighing shutting down GMC or Pontiac, this sales data should show GM to keep Pontiac going. Truck sales had to be miserable at best.

[xyagentguy]

If the Astra had a more efficient engine they'd be selling them hand over fist -- that and if they actually advertised the stupid thing.

I think it's crazy that the Aura is soon to have better fuel economy than the Astra. It just doesn't seem right.

If in fact GM is weighing shutting down GMC or Pontiac, this sales data should show GM to keep Pontiac going. Truck sales had to be miserable at best.

I'm still curious on how many G8's are moving. I'd imagine the fuel crises has hurt them, but they are such beautiful cars.

[zete]

Originally Posted by Firebird00

If in fact GM is weighing shutting down GMC or Pontiac, this sales data should show GM to keep Pontiac going. Truck sales had to be miserable at best.

Make GMC a Chevrolet high end badge and be done with it.

Pontiac can be saved, with the right product mix.

I wonder what the numbers on the Nissan Titan are? They must be down so low Nissan must be thinking of just killing it off.

[sierra1972]

Everyone shouldn't be so quick to be happy about this. Take a look at the insane incentives and lease deals ("the 72 hour sale") that came out in June. With a few exceptions, they are the reason for sales figures holding steady or increasing. I mean, why else would the Trailblazer be UP, for God's sake?

I thought GM was done with this...what's more important, market share or making money? This just adds to the erosion of their cash reserves, and THAT will end up as either program cuts, rebadges, program extensions, or increasingly expensive bond offerings. Market share doesn't impress customers a year later when they find that Features X and Y are not available on a GM product but are on the competition.

I'd say wait for the next quarter's financials before crowing that this was such a brilliant idea.

[xyagentguy]

I'd say wait for the next quarter's financials before crowing that this was such a brilliant idea.

Actually, as far as I can tell, most people have simply said the news isn't as resoundingly awful as they thought it would be for June.

Personally, I am conservatively optimistic.

[TruckMan]

Originally Posted by zete

Make GMC a Chevrolet high end badge and be done with it.

Pontiac can be saved, with the right product mix.

I wonder what the numbers on the Nissan Titan are? They must be down so low Nissan must be thinking of just killing it off.

This just doesn't make any sense. Saab and Hummer are HUGE flops, and everybody is talking about killing GMC - who did better than their rebadges in almost every vehicle. Good thing you guys aren't running the compnay. You guys are worse than the current managment.

[Kennyboy]

Only 900 deliveries of the Saturn Astra? What gives here? Finally a decent small car from GM and nobody is buying it. Is it the lack of advertising? Is it with the Saturn brand? Is it with the lack of a dealer infrastructure?

[xyagentguy]

Is it the lack of advertising? Is it with the Saturn brand? Is it with the lack of a dealer infrastructure?

I think a little of all of that, plus it's fuel economy isn't spectacularly competitive (especially considering the Aura will soon be more fuel efficient).

[PeterPuck]

Originally Posted by Kennyboy

Only 900 deliveries of the Saturn Astra? What gives here? Finally a decent small car from GM and nobody is buying it. Is it the lack of advertising? Is it with the Saturn brand? Is it with the lack of a dealer infrastructure?

For the money, there are far better small-car choices out there.

[JackDye]

Originally Posted by sierra1972

Everyone shouldn't be so quick to be happy about this. Take a look at the insane incentives and lease deals ("the 72 hour sale") that came out in June. With a few exceptions, they are the reason for sales figures holding steady or increasing. I mean, why else would the Trailblazer be UP, for God's sake?

I thought GM was done with this...what's more important, market share or making money? This just adds to the erosion of their cash reserves, and THAT will end up as either program cuts, rebadges, program extensions, or increasingly expensive bond offerings. Market share doesn't impress customers a year later when they find that Features X and Y are not available on a GM product but are on the competition.

I'd say wait for the next quarter's financials before crowing that this was such a brilliant idea.

On the sales call today, they mentioned that incentives including the 72-hour sale were flat to May 2008 and up about $400 from June 2007. Given the state of the overall market, that seems to be reasonable.

[joemac]

Originally Posted by delmarjohn

happy to report 4.59 here in san diego.....they call it the sunshine tax

Gotcha beat. $5.09 for B100 in Austin.

[AMERICA 123]

Originally Posted by zete

It's the same number: 18.5% unadjusted, 8% adjusted for number of selling days in June. Companies have to report both so you can compare one year vs. another. It's why you see Toyota list 21% and 11%, 21% drop unadjusted and 11% drop adjusted.

Well, lets give everybody the full credit they deserve.

Toyota's numbers for JUNE 2008 are;

unadjusted:...... -21.37%... or if you want to round further -21.4 or -21.5%

adjusted (dsr%) -11.54% or again rounding to another digit -11.5%

Its going to be interesting to see all the combined industry numbers.

[vcs2600]

Originally Posted by Firebird00

If in fact GM is weighing shutting down GMC or Pontiac, this sales data should show GM to keep Pontiac going. Truck sales had to be miserable at best.

Yep. But the stuff that Pontiac can sell (G6, Vibe, Torrent) is exactly the stuff that GMIers want them to get rid of.

IMO the sales numbers show that Pontiac would be much more successful positioned as a young female brand instead of vroom-vroom muscle cars.

Also, what happened to the Impala? Last month GM said they were supply-limited, and this month sales are down 50%.

[xyagentguy]

IMO the sales numbers show that Pontiac would be much more successful positioned as a young female brand instead of vroom-vroom muscle cars.

Not that this position hasn't been said before, but performance vehicles will always have a market no matter how expensive fuel gets. There will ALWAYS be a buyer and a niche market willing to dish out the cash for a gorgeous muscle car, and who can blame them?

I think Pontiac needs to scratch its re-badges and send Saturn or Chevy the Vibe (which is a great little car, imo) and concentrate on making about 3 EXCELLENT and COMPETITIVE performance vehicles and go after that market exclusively.

While I'm rambling, I think GMC needs to get axed and possibly use the GMC name to make up-scale Chevy products similar to the GMC Denali line but instead make it the Chevy GMC line (which has been mentioned before.)

I think a considerable stake of Hummer needs to be sold off and/or possibly consider another tie-in with Chevy such as simply the Chevrolet Hummer H4.

I think Buick needs 3 vehicles only, one SUV or Lamda (the Enclave is apparently doing nicely) and two sedan's (the 2010 LaCrosse/Invicta looks fantastic) and market these as traditional luxury. Just like GM may be planning, I think it's a good idea to increase the price of the Buick products SLIGHTLY to fit them more accordingly in between Chevy and Cadillac. I think this slight increase in price should also entail a slight increase in refinement/materials/features.

I think Saturn needs to keep steady with the European look and feel and be added to the Pontiac/Buick channel to increase dealerships because I think Saturns are great vehicles that really have a place in this market if more people had access to them and their marketing.

Chevy is of course the backbone of the company and needs to continue pumping out quality vehicles like the Malibu.

Cadillac needs to continue with the success of the CTS only the CTS needs to be the mid-tier vehicle while the DTS/STS is merged into a truly competitive high-tier luxury car and a smaller sedan should be created that is below the CTS. The SUVs/SUTs/XLR can all stay as long as there is a market for them. Cadillac should be the premiere luxury brand that is edgy and futuristic (while Buick remains more refined and traditional).

Otherwise, depending on the great success or relative stability of sales will indicate whether more models would be warranted with the niche divisions such as Pontiac and Buick or if 3 models are sufficient and steady.

I have no idea what to do with Saab..... LOL. Perhaps since at this point, theoretically both Pontiac and Buick would have only 3 vehicles, Saab could be added to this channel, too? I dunno..

[DoomsDave]

Originally Posted by sierra1972

I'd say wait for the next quarter's financials before crowing that this was such a brilliant idea.

I'd say wait for the next quarter's financials before crowing that this was such a disastrous idea.

Take your own advice.