General Motors Sales Increase 21 Percent in November

General Motors dealers reported 168,704 total sales in November, a 21-percent increase from the prior year for the company’s four brands. The gains were the result of balanced contributions from Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac cars, crossovers and trucks. With sales for GM’s four brands up 22 percent through November, GM is on track to gain market share for the year.

November retail sales for the company’s brands rose 20 percent compared to a year earlier.

“Each brand came to the party in November," said Don Johnson, vice president, U.S. sales operations. “These results show that our brands continue to gain momentum with consumers who want stylish, fuel-efficient vehicles."

During the month, combined sales of the Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain and Cadillac SRX increased 56 percent, while the combined sales for the Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Chevrolet Traverse rose 38 percent versus last year. Combined, GM’s crossovers improved 39 percent during the month, and are up 51 percent year to date.

Combined sales of the Chevrolet Avalanche, Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra full-size pickups increased 16 percent for the month and are 16 percent higher year to date, compared to 2009.

Passenger car deliveries increased 17 percent during November, driven by improving demand for the Chevrolet Cruze (8,066 unit sales) and Buick Regal (1,979 unit sales). Strong increases from Chevrolet Aveo (up 47 percent), Chevrolet Impala (up 19 percent) and Buick LaCrosse (up 20 percent) also helped drive the year-over-year improvement.

“November sales results are consistent with our expectations and show that the plan we laid out earlier this year to steadily grow in the U.S. market is working," Johnson said. Sales for GM’s four brands have increased 22 percent through November, while the industry has increased approximately 11 percent.

Month-end dealer inventory in the U.S. stood at about 536,000 units, which is about 21,000 higher compared to October, and about 98,000 higher than November 2009.