General Motors Company, aka GM, sold 2.5 million vehicles globally during Q2 of 2014 (+0.5). During the first half, GM sold 4.92 million vehicles, up 1.4%. This was not good enough to fend off Volkswagen Group, which was 500,000 units ahead at 4.97 million.
Since Toyota Motor has not yet reported sales, all that remains is Toyota’s ranking. Smart money would bet on Toyota being Number One, but that will not be known until the end of July when the Japanese giant reports. During 2013, Toyota sold 9.7 million vehicles, compared to GM’s 9.29 million and VW’s 9.1 million.
At GM, year-over-year sales in the United States and China were up 7% and 8%, respectively – its two largest and most profitable markets. Total sales were up a mere 0.5%, though, as reported in GM’s Q2 results.
GM Sales Highlights and Lowlights:
• Pickups and large SUVs in North America helped GM achieve record average transaction prices in both the second quarter and first half.
• Buick, which celebrated the best sales year in the brand’s 110-year history in 2013, posted an 11% increase in the quarter and it is up 12% year to date. Buick global sales in the first six months of 2014 are 152% higher than they were just six years ago, growth that has outpaced all major American, European, Japanese and Korean makes. (However, this is because the brand was near dead.)
• Cadillac’s global sales were up 14% in the quarter, including a 51% increase in China. Calendar year to date, deliveries were up 12%, with a 72% increase in China sales.
• Opel/Vauxhall sales increased 3% in the second quarter. Sales were up 4% in the first half and Opel gained share in 11 European markets. In addition, the Mokka was the best-selling SUV in the first six months of the year in Germany.
GM, its subsidiaries and joint ventures sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Cadillac, Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling brands.
