GM Sales UP In August !!

[unkillsam]

Originally Posted by mtndrew1

*Aura sales are around 25% fleet.

*DTS, a fleet queen, down 13.9% for the year but nearly flat this month.

*Malibu in a nosedive by more than 25% this year but nearly flat this month.

*Equinox also diving by almost a quarter this year, but UP 13% this month.

*HHR on a gentle decline all year then spikes 50% this month.

*Lambda sales are still pretty underwhelming and are failing to ramp up strongly.

LaNeve pointed out "year to date" declines in rental sales, but based on the sudden spikes in some of GM's lamest products, combined with a jump in sales of products that are known to be very heavy fleet (GP almost 75%), this month's anomaly of GM bucking the industry trend seems to be a massive fleet dump.

I've seen lots of Silverados running around with Enterprise plate frames lately too, although that's a tough one because nearly all non-SUV GM products in LA are fleet, based on casual observation.

Combine the fleet flurry with GM's newfound heavy GMT900 incentives to match the Tundra and we're right back to 2005. Giving away the metal to prop up the quarter's number.

-Drew

If at the end of 2007 fleet sales as a percentage are still down, then what is the problem. Maybe they just got a big order this month. i don't know

Point is, this is not like 2005, they ran 0% on everything.

Most cars are still around 3.9% to 5.9% for 60 months, with a $1,000.00 or less on the hood.

0% plus employee pricing does not equal 5.9% and $1,000.00

GM is making far more money per sale then they were in 2005.

[I-Love-Pontiac]

Uplander 7,802 6,060 28.7

.....How are they doing it?

[Robert G]

Remember, in this report, the Lambdas are included as trucks, but are really not like the old SUVs.

Originally Posted by VCDJ

This is good. It is about time. What i am worried about is GM car sales down 7.8%, what this means gm is depending more and more on suvs and trucks and that is no good. Hopefully car sales will go up soon. If gm can get their car sales to go up, then gm would be in very good shape but depending to much on suvs and truck to drive your sales is very dangeres.

[tseas930]

Originally Posted by VCDJ

This is good. It is about time. What i am worried about is GM car sales down 7.8%, what this means gm is depending more and more on suvs and trucks and that is no good. Hopefully car sales will go up soon. If gm can get their car sales to go up, then gm would be in very good shape but depending to much on suvs and truck to drive your sales is very dangeres.

I seem to be getting a lot of customers waiting on and wanting to see the new Malibu. Hopefully the 08' Malibu coupled with a strong Impala will equal some success in GM car sales.

[espo19047]

Originally Posted by VCDJ

This is good. It is about time. What i am worried about is GM car sales down 7.8%, what this means gm is depending more and more on suvs and trucks and that is no good. Hopefully car sales will go up soon. If gm can get their car sales to go up, then gm would be in very good shape but depending to much on suvs and truck to drive your sales is very dangeres.

Does the 7.8% drop include fleet sales? The Malibu is about two Months away. The CTS goes on sale too. Things are looking good.

[jbartley]

i think it's funny everyone screams about fuel costs cutting into fullsize SUV sales, yet suburban, xl, and esv are all up from last year by alot.


and of course fleet sales jump this month, and probably next. it's the end of the model year run. I'm sure hyundai and toyota, etc are fleeting this month as well.

[PeterPuck]

Originally Posted by I-Love-Pontiac

.....How are they doing it?

Some fleet, bargain prices, and the fact that the van isn't as bad as people make it out to be (nor as ugly).

[HoosierRon]

Chevrolet divsion + 8.6%
Toyota division - 3.7%

I am amazed that nearly half (45.5%) of TMC's U.S. sales are from just four vehicles: Camry, Corolla, Tundra and Tacoma.

[tgagneguam]

Originally Posted by jbartley

i think it's funny everyone screams about fuel costs cutting into fullsize SUV sales, yet suburban, xl, and esv are all up from last year by alot...

I'm convinced that when GM puts effort into it, when it builds a better vehicle compared to other automakers, the market niche may suffer, but it doesn't mean that the pain has to be spread evenly; GM can be alright. There are wealthy people and those who want and need Suburbans and Tahoes. And GM should be right there supplying them.

It's for similar reasons that I take exception to GM running scared from the minivan market and allowing Honda and Toyota to be OK in it.

Yes, gas prices affect purchases, I'm sure, but it doesn't mean entire markets will dry up completely. It simply means, in a Darwinian fashion, weak competitors will become extinct.

[Chaz_23]

Best month this year. Presumably, fleets account for most if it. Biggest gainers compared to July: LaCrosse, Cobalt, Impala, Malibu, G6, GP.

Outlook has been going down steadily since May. So has Solstice. Shouldn't Solstice sell better during summer?!? Vibe is down quite a bit from last month.

[tgagneguam]

...The GM sales results came as rival Ford (Charts, Fortune 500) reported Tuesday that its total U.S. sales fell about 14 percent to 218,332 in the month. That was a bit better than one forecast, but it dropped Ford out of its traditional place as the No. 2 U.S. automaker.

Toyota Motor (Charts) posted a rare 2.8 percent drop in U.S. sales to 233,471, which was weaker than forecasts. But its sales were still enough to put it ahead of Ford Motor for the month.

I find zero pleasure in the fact that our number 2 domestic automaker is sucking wind to an Asian maker, no matter how better that brand may be. And before anyone claims that the loss of position reflects a shrinking to profitability, remember that Ford's retail sales were down significantly, too. It's vehicles aren't resonating with consumers, and I find that troubling.

When trying to turn a buck, when trying to build shareholder wealth, when trying to re-establish oneself as best-of-the-best, a pro-profit/pro-growth strategy is always the order of the day. It'd be nice to one day have Detroit firing on all cylinders.

[mtndrew1]

Originally Posted by jbartley

i think it's funny everyone screams about fuel costs cutting into fullsize SUV sales, yet suburban, xl, and esv are all up from last year by alot.


and of course fleet sales jump this month, and probably next. it's the end of the model year run. I'm sure hyundai and toyota, etc are fleeting this month as well.

I'd say the super big trucks (sub, expedition XL, etc.) will be less affected by rising fuel costs than what we've seen happen with the middle sized trucks. Yukon, Tahoe, GMT360, regular Expedition, Explorer, and Durango have all seen giant year on year drops in sales.

The people that cart around six kids and a boat large enough to demand a Suburban will probably be less affected by fuel pricing than someone who commutes to work in a Tahoe. The total percentage of sales is much smaller, but the market these vehicles serves is far more insulated from fuel costs.

-Drew

[PA Dweller]

Originally Posted by VCDJ

This is good. It is about time. What i am worried about is GM car sales down 7.8%, what this means gm is depending more and more on suvs and trucks and that is no good. Hopefully car sales will go up soon. If gm can get their car sales to go up, then gm would be in very good shape but depending to much on suvs and truck to drive your sales is very dangeres.

GM doesn't have many new sedans, except for the Aura. My guess is once GM gets the "Old GM" cars out of show rooms we will see the car sales numbers rise.

[mbukukanyau]

I am also assuming rebate spending was up

[mtndrew1]

Originally Posted by PA Dweller

GM doesn't have many new sedans, except for the Aura. My guess is once GM gets the "Old GM" cars out of show rooms we will see the car sales numbers rise.

I'd agree, but we heard this a few years ago when we were sitting on the Grand Am, previous Malibu, Century, Regal, Intrigue and Cavalier/Sunfire.

A G6 became the first ever, the Malibu would "take us there", LaCrosse and Lucerne gave Tiger some...well..., Aura became NACOTY and Cobalt/G5 showed up in new duds to much fanfare.

Sales tanked.

-Drew