A re-surging U.S. pickup market is seeing record transaction prices, but it’s a North American sport that doesn’t help a global perspective.
When GM global sales were posted this month, it was already behind Volkswagen Group. When Toyota releases its global sales later in January, it is possible that GM will be the world’s third largest automaker, with Toyota or VW Group Number One and GM having bragging rights to “We’re Number Three,” in global sales.
In 2014, GM and its dealers delivered 9,924,880 vehicles around the world, surpassing by a slight 2% its older record set in 2013. VW Group sold 10.14 million vehicles (prior year: 9.73; +4.2%) from January to December 2014.
“GM is making solid progress and has good momentum claimed GM CEO Mary Barra. “Our customer focus, the new cars, trucks and crossovers we launched in China and North America, technologies like OnStar with 4GLTE and the revitalization underway at Opel helped us achieve another record year, despite very challenging market conditions in different parts of the world.”
No kidding?
With the exception of North America (3.4 million or +5.5%) and China (3.54 million +12%) where GM’s long-standing market leadership was displaced by VW Group at 3.68 million, every other GM region was down:
- GM Europe – 1.26 million -9.9%
- GM South America – 878,000 -15.3%
- GM International – 838,000 -6.7%
Look at Audi. The VW group brand sold 5789,000 for growth of 17.7% YoY, to
increasing its leadership position in China’s premium market. Cadillac sold 264,000 vehicles, a 5.2% increase.
GM management remains North American-centric, and mired in the after effects of its well-deserved bankruptcy and killer ignition switch controversies, among other quality and safety problems. Then, the larger question remains, after decades of decline has the GM culture really changed?
