If Chinese sales more than double as GM expects – and it’s a good bet - China would dominate GM’s volume in a way unheard of since GM had almost 60% share in the U.S. market in 1960.
General Motors and its required joint ventures in China set an October sales record of 220,412 units. GM China sales were up 10.4% on an annual basis as domestic demand for vehicles from Shanghai GM rose 4.3% year-on-year to a new October high of 103,309 units and domestic sales by SAIC-GM-Wuling increased 19.2% year on year to a record of 111,957 units.
During October 2011, sales by GM China surpassed 2 million, reaching 2,113,274 units – more than the 2,000,000 units it has sold in the U.S. ytd. Two of GM’s manufacturing joint ventures surpassed 1 million annual sales in China, with Shanghai GM’s sales totaling 1,009,536 units and SAIC-GM-Wuling’s sales coming in at 1,053,196 units. This was the earliest in their history that GM and its joint ventures reached these sales milestones.
Buick sales rose 3.1% year on year to an October record 56,200 units. In the U.S. in October Buick sold fewer than 12,000 units. Buick’s best-selling model in China remained the original Excelle passenger car family, with a 13% increase to 24,288 units. Demand for the New Regal was up 16.2% to 8,198 units more than the 2,281 Regal models sold in the U.S.
Chevrolet had its second-best October ever, as domestic sales totaled 50,450 units. Sales of the brand’s best-selling model in China, the Cruze, rose 11.2% year on year to 19,785 units. Sales for the new Aveo family totaled 4,541 units.
Cadillac also set a new October sales mark, with sales growing 21.5% on an annual basis to 2,085 units. Demand for the SRX, Cadillac’s best-selling model in China, jumped 51.1% to 1,280 units.
Wuling sales in China increased 20.1% on an annual basis to an October record 103,186 units. Domestic sales by FAW-GM in October were down 32.2% on an annual basis to 4,408 units.
