General Motors Europe (GME) achieved a record 572,137 sales in the first quarter of 2008, up 3.3% or 18,111 units year on year. Market share was 9.6%.

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Opel is growing sales in central and eastern Europe.


Accounting for 73% of GM’s European sales, the Opel/Vauxhall brands sold 418,496 vehicles in the first quarter of 2008. Market share was 7%. Strong results in Russia and several central European markets like Poland, Bulgaria and Romania somewhat offset a considerable weakening in Spain and Italy.


Chevrolet had a record first quarter, beating last year’s Q1 by 30,248 units, with total sales of 131,568 vehicles. Market share also grew 0.4 point, to 2.2%, the highest-ever first-quarter market share for the brand.


Chevrolet experienced its highest volume growth in Russia and Ukraine. In Ukraine, the brand doubled its volume by 7,919 cars to first quarter registrations of 15,853.

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GM brands in Russia maintained their fast growth rate, with sales increasing 78% to 82,725 units, outpacing the industry’s 37% growth. Market share grew 2.8 points to 12.1%.


Opel and Chevrolet both performed well in Russia and the central and eastern European markets. At 23,479, Opel sales in Russia were up 14,099 units compared to Q1 2007, with market share growing from 1.9 to 3.4%.


Chevrolet Q1 sales in Russia grew by 60%. The brand’s share in Russia grew from 7.5 to 8.5%, with sales of 58,498 vehicles that accounted for 44% of Chevrolet sales in Europe.


“The [largely GM-Daewoo-made] Chevrolet brand’s strong growth – especially in eastern and central Europe – continued in the first quarter of 2008. As the new Aveo, [its] European best-seller, is just being launched in many markets, we are confident to see this trend continue throughout the year,” said GME sales chief Jonathan Browning.


“Market share increase of three percentage points for the GM group in Russia and volume growth of 78% compared to the same period last year are remarkable results,” Browning added.


“Chevrolet in Russia grew sales by 60%, Opel by 150% and Saab by 75%. With our multibrand strategy, we were able to grow twice as fast in Russia in the first quarter than the industry.”


Saab sold 19,653 cars in Europe. Cadillac grew sales 13% and Hummer sales rose 59%. The brand recently added the South African-assembled right-hand drive H3 to its line.