GM Reports Third Consecutive Year of Record Global Sales

DETROIT – General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) global sales totaled 9.8 million vehicles in 2015, up 0.2 percent for the company’s third consecutive year of record sales.

“GM continued to grow in 2015 as our focus on the customer and successful new vehicle launches more than offset the challenging conditions in South America and the curtailment of our presence in certain markets such as Russia,” said GM President Dan Ammann.

Deliveries in North America rose 6 percent in 2015 to 3.6 million cars, trucks and crossovers.  In the U.S., GM grew its retail sales, which are sales to individual customers, faster than any other automaker.

In China, General Motors and its joint ventures delivered a record 3.6 million vehicles, up 5 percent compared to 2014. Their lineup expanded through the introduction of 12 new and refreshed models. SUV deliveries were up 144 percent, led by new models such as the Buick Envision and Baojun 560.

In 2015, General Motors’ cars, trucks and crossovers were leading automotive sales in China and its North American and South American regions.

GM has several major product launches underway around the world, including the new Opel Astra with more than 80,000 orders across European markets and the new Chevrolet Malibu in North America, which began arriving in showrooms at the end of last year.

Global Sales Highlights (vs. 2014)

• Chevrolet grew retail market share in the U.S. faster than any full-line automotive brand, with total sales up 5 percent to more than 2.1 million cars, trucks and crossovers. Chevrolet sales in Canada increased 3 percent while sales in Mexico went up 18 percent. Combined sales for the brand in North America were up 6 percent.
• Buick set a global sales record for the third consecutive year, driven by record sales in China and record crossover deliveries in the United States. Total sales surpassed 1.2 million vehicles.
• Cadillac grew globally by 8 percent, driven by record sales in China and the strong growth in SRX and Escalade deliveries in the U.S.
• GMC continued to grow and achieved its 6th consecutive year of sales gains. Based on new and significantly refreshed products, deliveries grew 11 percent to 680,000 vehicles.
• Opel/Vauxhall achieved its best sales result in four years delivering more than 1.1 million vehicles despite its strategic departure from the Russian market. Share of the total European vehicle market increased for the third year in a row to nearly 6 percent.
• In the U.S., GM’s total sales were up 5 percent supported by the momentum of vehicles like the Chevrolet Silverado and Colorado, the GMC Sierra and record crossover deliveries. Retail deliveries increased 8 percent.

General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM, TSX: GMM) and its partners produce vehicles in 30 countries, and the company has leadership positions in the world’s largest and fastest-growing automotive markets.  GM, its subsidiaries and joint venture entities sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Cadillac, Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling brands. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety, security and information services, can be found at http://www.gm.com.

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Forward-Looking Statements                   

In this press release, and in related comments by management, our use of the words “plans,” “anticipated,” “goals,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “possible,” “target,” “believe,” “commit,” “intend” “continue,” “may,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “project,” “appears,” “potential,” “projected,” “on track,” “upside,” “positioned,” “outlook” or similar expressions is intended to identify forward-looking statements that represent our current judgment about possible future events. We believe these judgments are reasonable, but these statements are not guarantees of any events or financial results, and our actual results may differ materially due to a variety of important factors. Among other items, such factors may include: our ability to realize production efficiencies and to achieve reductions in costs as a result of our restructuring initiatives and labor modifications; our ability to maintain quality control over our vehicles and avoid material vehicle recalls and the cost and effect on our reputation of product recalls; our ability to maintain adequate financing sources, including as required to fund our planned significant investment in new technology; the ability of our suppliers to timely deliver parts, components and systems; our ability to realize successful vehicle applications of new technology; overall strength and stability of our markets, particularly outside of North America and China; costs and risks associated with litigation and government investigations including those related to our various recalls and risks, consequences and costs associated with failure to comply with the deferred prosecution agreement; our ability to remain competitive and our ability to continue to attract new customers, particularly for our new products. GM’s most recent reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q provide information about these and other factors, which we may revise or supplement in future reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Opel hat sich neu erfunden: Ein erster Ausblick auf den GT Concept

Rüsselsheim.  Ein neuer kurzer Film, ein Ausblick auf eine kommende Weltpremiere – einen atemberaubend und zugleich puristisch gestalteten Sportwagen. Es ist Opel-Chef Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann, der für einen Moment die Tür zur Zukunft öffnet und sagt: „Opel hat sich neu erfunden. Verpassen Sie nicht, wie es weitergeht.“ Die Rede ist vom Opel GT Concept, der erstmals auf dem kommenden Genfer Automobilsalon (3. bis 13. März 2016) in voller Schönheit zu sehen sein wird.

Das Video und das erste Foto mit dem zentralen Doppelauspuff zeigen schon jetzt Reminiszenzen an zwei Avantgarde-Modelle aus der großen Firmengeschichte – ohne jede Spur von Retrodesign: Der für einen Augenblick sichtbare rote Vorderreifen des GT Concept ist eine Hommage an das damals futuristische Opel-Motorrad Motoclub 500, das schon 1928 stolz auf zwei roten Reifen rollte. Und die beiden Endrohre mit dem GT-Logo in ihrer Mitte spielen auf eine Designikone an: 1965 stellte Opel auf der IAA in Frankfurt mit dem avantgardistischen Experimental GT die erste Studie eines europäischen Herstellers vor. Bereits damals entwickelte Opel mit dem Experimental GT ein hochmodernes Coupé mit skulpturaler Form – absolut klar, minimalistisch, dabei spannend und kompromisslos. Dieselbe Philosophie bestimmt nun das Design des neuen GT Concept.

Opel-Geschäftsführer ausgezeichnet: CEO Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann und Marketingchefin Tina Müller gewinnen HORIZONT Award 2015

Rüsselsheim/Frankfurt.  Gemeinsam sind wir stark: Opel CEO Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann und Opel-Marketingchefin Tina Müller betraten gestern Abend zusammen die Bühne der Alten Oper in Frankfurt, um den HORIZONT Award „Männer und Frauen des Jahres 2015“ in der Kategorie Marketing entgegenzunehmen. Bereits zum 33. Mal ehrte die Fachzeitschrift für Marketing, Werbung und Medien damit herausragende Persönlichkeiten der Branche in den Kategorien „Marketing, Agenturen und Medien“. Die Jury lobte mit den Worten: „Die beiden Opel-Geschäftsführer haben in eindrucksvoller Manier die Marke Opel von Vorurteilen befreit und als Unternehmen neu positioniert. Geschafft wurde dies mit eindrucksvollen Kampagnen, überraschenden Sponsorings und Kooperationen sowie starken Testimonials.“

„Entscheidend war, dass wir offen und ehrlich mit dem Markenimage umgegangen sind und eine vollständige Neupositionierung eingeleitet haben. Die neue Markenwahrnehmung wird durch eine nie dagewesene Modelloffensive unterstützt“, erklärt Dr. Neumann.

Und Tina Müller ergänzt: „Die zentrale Aufgabe war das Umparken der Markenwahrnehmung und das Einreißen der Mauer von Vorurteilen, die zwischen Zielgruppe und Produkt stand. Jetzt kann man seinen Opel-Schlüssel wieder mit Stolz auf den Tisch legen.“

So konnte Opel für 2015 mit über 1,1 Millionen verkauften Autos die höchsten Werte bei Absatz und Marktanteil seit 2011 verzeichnen. Darüber hinaus konnten der Rüsselsheimer Hersteller und seine britische Schwestergesellschaft Vauxhall im vergangenen Jahr Volumenzuwächse auf 20 Märkten erzielen und Marktanteile in zehn europäischen Märkten gewinnen.