General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) today reported total U.S. sales of 234,351 vehicles in December, up 5% compared with December 2010. Sales for the calendar year were up 14% year-over- year to more than 2.5 million units. Based preliminary results GM gained market share for what GM said was a slow but steady recovery in 2011 for the U.S. auto market.
Retail deliveries were up 2% in December compared with 2010, and accounted for 81% of the GM sales totals. Deliveries to fleets were up 17%.
GM’s total passenger car sales for the month increased 12%. Crossover sales – surprisingly – decreased 14%. Sales of trucks, which include full-size pickups, vans and SUVs increased 13%.
Chevrolet led all automakers passenger car sales in 2011 and posted its largest year-over-year retail sales increase in 35 years, due in large part to sales of the Cruze compact sedan. Chevrolet compact car sales almost doubled compared with 2010 at almost than 232,000 units.
“We were able to grow all four of our brands and reestablish Chevrolet as a force to be reckoned with in the passenger car business. This gives us a very solid foundation to compete in a market that we expect to keep growing,” said Don Johnson, vice president, U.S. Sales Operations.
GM ended December with about 580,000 units in dealer stock, 67 days at current selling rates, including approximately 180,000 full-size pickup trucks, which represent 73 days of inventory, roughly in line with industry averages.
GM expects full-year 2012 light vehicle sales to be in a range of 13.5 million to 14.0 million units. In previous years, GM’s forecasts were based on total vehicle sales, which included medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, or about 300,000 additional units.
