So, you wondered why GM kept Buick...

[MikeMike]

Buick is the fastest growing automotive brand in the US currently...

* Combined Buick, GMC and Cadillac sales counter trend, increase 37 percent
* Calendar-year-to-date sales for GM’s four brands are up 23 percent
* Buick remains the fastest-growing major auto brand in the U.S.
* Cadillac is the fastest-growing luxury brand in the U.S.

DETROIT – August sales for Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac decreased by a combined 11 percent to 184,921 units, compared to last August, a month in which the automotive industry experienced the highest level of sales in 2009 due to the Cash for Clunkers stimulus program. Compared to July 2010, sales for GM’s brands were down 7 percent.

Through August, Buick remained the industry’s fastest-growing brand with sales up 61 percent year to date. Cadillac leads the luxury vehicle industry in sales growth this year, with sales 50 percent higher through August.

“Last year’s Cash for Clunkers program spiked industry sales in 2009, so results this August were, not surprisingly, a bit mixed,” said Don Johnson, vice president, U.S. Sales Operations. “Importantly, three of our four divisions showed solid gains. This is further evidence that our performance is the result of balanced contributions across our brands.”

Combined sales for Buick, GMC and Cadillac were up 37 percent for the month, compared to a year ago. Buick sales increased 66 percent, propelled by retail sales that more than doubled during the month. Cadillac dealers reported sales that were 83 percent higher than last year, and the brand’s retail sales also rose 83 percent. GMC total sales were up 12 percent during the month, driven by strong retail sales. Chevrolet, which benefited the most from last year’s federal stimulus, had a total sales decline of 22 percent compared to last year, while retail sales were down 31 percent.

Total sales of GM’s full-size pickups rose 4 percent during the month, while its full-size utilities increased 7 percent on strong retail sales growth.

Johnson noted that key product launches for the remainder of this year will continue the company’s momentum.

“With the all-new Chevrolet Cruze hitting showrooms in September, the Chevrolet Volt later this year, the Buick Regal expanding Buick’s footprint in the U.S., and the Cadillac CTS Coupe generating a lot of attention, we have reason to be optimistic,” Johnson said.

Month-end dealer inventory in the U.S. stood at about 452,000 units, which is about 28,000 higher compared to July 2010, and about 73,000 higher than August 2009.

August Key Facts and Brand Results:

* Chevrolet: Chevrolet delivered 131,952 total vehicles in August, a 22 percent decline year-over-year. Year-to-date total Chevrolet sales are up 19 percent. Retail sales for Chevrolet full-size trucks (Silverado, Avalanche, Tahoe and Suburban) rose 8 percent.

* Buick: Buick reported total sales of 14,294, an increase of 66 percent in August compared to last year. Driven by continuing strong customer demand for the LaCrosse (retail sales up 263 percent) and growing demand for the all-new Regal, Buick retail sales more than doubled for the second month in a row, up 102 percent, compared to last year. August was the eleventh straight month that total and retail sales have increased. With sales up 61 percent for the year, Buick remains the fastest growing major auto brand in the U.S. .

* GMC: GMC reported total sales of 25,986, a 12 percent increase in total sales in the month of August, compared to the same month last year. This includes an 18 percent increase in retail sales, marking 11 consecutive months of year-over-year total and retail sales gains for GMC. Retail sales for GMC full-size trucks (Sierra, Yukon and Yukon XL) increased 12 percent during the month and retail sales for the Terrain rose to 3,667 units. For the year, GMC total sales are up 26 percent.

* Cadillac: Total sales of 12,689 for August were 83 percent higher than last August, with retail sales increasing 83 percent. This strong retail performance was driven by continuing strong consumer demand for the SRX and the CTS, with retail sales up 410 percent and 77 percent, respectively. August was the seventh month in a row that Cadillac total and retail sales have increased. With total sales up 50 percent for the year, the brand is the fastest growing luxury auto brand in the industry.

* Fleet sales for GM’s four brands were 51,951 for the month.

http://media.gm.com/content/media/u...ntent/Pages/news/us/en/2010/Sept/0902_gmsales


Overall August 2010 numbers are terrible, TM is down 31%
Hyundai -11%
Honda -30%
Subaru -22%
VWoA -8%

 

[JulesMaximus]

GM had nowhere to go BUT up.

 

[desy]

Well if you give Buick some good cars to sell, they sell. . .

 

[speedy2]

Buick is making some really nice stuff. China loves them too.

 

[Vette73]

Buick also has a lot of new cars that look real nice now.
GM has positioned Buick as a Lexus fighter. Chevy to toyota/honda and Caddy to BMW/MB. Seems to be working and the new cars are nice.

 

[PricklyPete]

Buick had pretty much hit rock bottom...so it could have only been positive from that point. That being said, the Lacrosse and Regal are way better cars than anything that Buick has sold in the past. It doesn't hurt that they have a very competitive CUV as well.

 

[PricklyPete]

I'll add that the Regal is the first Buick I'd ever consider owning...and I seriously still would...especially if they bring a wagon over.

 

[LTC8K6]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-...fell-24-9-last-month-more-than-estimated.html

GM, Ford Sales Slump as `Nervous' Buyers Stay Away

Toyota Motor Corp., General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co., the world’s three largest automakers, reported sales declines that exceeded analysts’ projections as the U.S. auto industry headed for its worst August in 28 years.

GM said deliveries fell 25 percent to 185,176 from 246,479 last August, when the U.S. government’s “cash for clunkers” incentive program boosted sales. The biggest U.S. automaker was expected to report a 19 percent decrease, including an adjustment for the number of selling days in August, the average estimate of four analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. On that basis, sales fell 22 percent, Detroit-based GM said in a statement.

U.S. auto sales last month probably were the slowest for August in 28 years as model-year closeout deals failed to entice consumers concerned about the economy and their jobs. Deliveries industrywide may have reached an annualized rate of 11.6 million vehicles last month, the average of eight analysts’ estimates compiled by Bloomberg. That would be 18 percent below last year’s 14.2 million pace and above July’s 11.5 million rate.
...

 

[Howard]

Bigger question: why not move get rid of GMC?

 

[desy]

From the same article

"Asian Tumbles

Sales by Japanese automakers, which benefited most from the “cash for clunkers” program, were expected to fall more than the overall market, analysts said.

Honda Motor Co., the second-biggest Japanese automaker, sold 108,729 Honda and Acura brand vehicles, down 33 percent from a year ago, according to an e-mailed release from the company. Adjusting for one less sales day in the month, Honda’s sales fell 30 percent, compared with a decline of 27 percent, predicted by the average of four analysts’ estimates.

Nissan Motor Co.’s sales of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles fell 27 percent in August. Adjusting to match analysts’ estimates, sales tumbled 24 percent, matching the average of four estimates.

Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea’s largest automaker, reported an 11 percent drop in its U.S. sales in August."

 

[LTC8K6]

Sales of GM’s volume brand, Chevrolet, sales fell 22 percent, as Camaro sports-car deliveries tumbled 27 percent and Traverse sport-utility vehicle sales plunged 32 percent.

Its other three U.S. brands showed better results than they did last year. Cadillac gained 83 percent, Buick increased 66 percent and GMC gained 12 percent. The automaker closed or sold four brands since its bankruptcy last year.

Kind of misleading there. It is the small volume GM brands with the gains, while Chevy slumped big time.

 

[MaxFusion16]

Buick was saved because of China, no question about it.

if it weren't for the Chinese that demanded GM bring the Buick brand to China (GM suggested Chevy, the common man's car); Buick would've been killed long ago. Buick is actually viewed as a top tier luxury car make in China.........lol

 

[PricklyPete]

Buick was saved because of China, no question about it.

if it weren't for the Chinese that demanded GM bring the Buick brand to China (GM suggested Chevy, the common man's car); Buick would've been killed long ago. Buick is actually viewed as a top tier luxury car make in China.........lol

China certainly helped...but it probably didn't hurt that Buick was a better market segment than Pontiac or Saturn. Both of those brands directly competed with Chevy. Buick was old people's cars with a touch of luxury. The newer models have a lot more luxury and have been beating Lexus at its own game. It is allowing Cadillac to focus on the German premium brands instead of trying to satisfy the Lexus crowd and the German crowd all at once.

 

[ichy]

Haven't Buicks become some of the most reliable cars out there?

 

[PricklyPete]

Haven't Buicks become some of the most reliable cars out there?

They've been pretty reliable according to the various survey's for a while...they just have never had anything worth driving since the GN.

Part of this probably has to do with the demographic that buys them. Older people are fine with "luxury" features that were competitive 20 years ago. They also are much less likely to complain about issues. The new Buicks are much more tech laden...so I'm assuming we will see an uptick in reported problems...although I generally think they are still a very solid brand reliability wise.

 

[AMCRambler]

Buicks are old geezer cars. I bet Perknose drives one.

 

[Ktulu]

Kind of misleading there. It is the small volume GM brands with the gains, while Chevy slumped big time.

Well the Cobalt and the Aveo took the biggest hit, i'm betting its got something to do with the Cruze set to launch soon.

 

[RagingBITCH]

Kind of misleading there. It is the small volume GM brands with the gains, while Chevy slumped big time.

No shit. But of course, the GM fanboi has to point out the percentages, because it sounds a lot more impressive than "Buick sold 14,294 units in August compared to last year's 8,610." Shocking that a company going through bankruptcy and a government takeover last year had an increase in sales!!! WOW!!

 

[boomerang]

Bigger question: why not move get rid of GMC?

My theory on this, and I have seen nothing in print to support it, is that GMC was kept for fleet sales. By that I mean to companies like utility companies that need large heavy duty vehicles that can be adapted for various uses. Things like bucket trucks, trucks with specialized boxes to suit their needs and such. Bigger stuff that would have high GVWR.

Chevy keeps the average Joe and contractor vehicles and GMC provides the bigger stuff.

Just a theory based on boomerang thinking.

 

[Howard]

My theory on this, and I have seen nothing in print to support it, is that GMC was kept for fleet sales. By that I mean to companies like utility companies that need large heavy duty vehicles that can be adapted for various uses. Things like bucket trucks, trucks with specialized boxes to suit their needs and such. Bigger stuff that would have high GVWR.

Chevy keeps the average Joe and contractor vehicles and GMC provides the bigger stuff.

Just a theory based on boomerang thinking.

Perhaps, but why couldn't Chevy handle the big stuff?

 

[herm0016]

gmc generally has a little classier, little more luxury options in the trucks. I personally like the looks of the GMC over the Chevy also. if anything they should keep gmc, and get rid of chevy trucks, just make cars with the chevy brand, and all the trucks with GMC.

 

[MikeMike]

Perhaps, but why couldn't Chevy handle the big stuff?

margins

GMC haz dem

 

[punjabiplaya]

Bigger question: why not move get rid of GMC?

Trucks and shit

 

[PricklyPete]

GMCs costs very little in marketing and other overhead. They still sell really well and are essentially rebadged Chevy's with no need for additional tooling. There was no motivation to sell them.

 

[IcePickFreak]

A lot of the cars in Buick China aren't even sold here. The Chinese Buick Park Ave is a Holden Statemens, aka long wheel base Commodore/G8, aka the Chevy Caprice PPV.