USA: GM December sales off 18%

GM truck sales held steady in 2000 at 2.4 million

General Motors sold 337,972 new cars and trucks in December, down 18 percent from last year. Truck sales decreased 20 percent to 176,364 units from December 1999 and car sales were down 15 percent to 161,608 units. The company says that the December results “reflect in part the moderation that the industry has shown in recent months and an easing from last year’s blistering December sales pace of 18 million units”.

“The industry moderation we’ve seen in the second half of 2000 is not surprising although demand was softer than expected in December,” said Bill Lovejoy, group vice president of North America vehicle sales, service and marketing. “In today’s challenging market, the keys to success remain in quality products that appeal to consumers.”

However, GM posted strong truck sales in the 2000 calendar year. U.S. consumers bought six percent more utilities in 2000 than the prior year and all utility segments showed strong sales results for the year: Full-size utility sales grew eight percent, mid-utilities rose two percent and small utility sales climbed 20 percent. Full-size van sales also performed well, with sales rising seven percent for the year.

Total vehicle sales for the year dipped one percent to 4,953,163 units, car sales decreased two percent to 2,531,734 units and truck sales were comparable at 2,421,429 units.