GM Sales Grow 7.5% in August; Chevy, GMC Post Big Gains
General Motors rounded out the second third of 2017 strong, closing out August with 7.5% total growth and sales totaling 275,552 vehicles. GM was also strong at retail, growing 4.2% with sales totaling 221,778 vehicles, while US Commercial fleet sales rose 19% and total fleet sales rose 24%.
“We had a very strong month, and grew our retail and commercial fleet business on the strength of robust crossover sales at all four of our brands,” said Kurt McNeil, U.S. vice president of Sales Operations. “But our focus is on the unfolding crisis in Texas and what we can do to help our customers, employees, dealers, and everyone else impacted by the flooding.”
GM has pooled together its operations across the company to help those affected by Hurricane Harvey, with initiatives including $1,000 in Disaster Relief Assistance to customers in affected regions of Texas and Louisiana and deferred payments and waived fees for customers replacing storm-damaged vehicles.
“Hurricane Harvey did have an adverse effect on deliveries during the last week of August for every automaker but the key U.S. economic fundamentals remain supportive of strong vehicle sales,” said Mustafa Mohatarem, GM chief economist. “With the US economy strengthening, we anticipate retail sales will be strong for the foreseeable future.”
Chevrolet saw its total sales increase 11.4% at 196,007 vehicles and its retail sales increase 5.9% at 151,137 vehicles. GMC was up 12.4% with total sales of 47,718 vehicles and up 7% at retail with sales totaling 41,868 vehicles. Buick sales totaled 16,811 vehicles, down 22.5%; retail sales were down 2% at 16,781 vehicles. Cadillac declined 8.1% with 15,016 vehicles sold in total, while retail sales fell 14.3% with 11,992 vehicles.
To date, GM’s total US sales are down 2.4% at 1,916,105 vehicles; retail sales are down 1.8% at a total of 1,557,043 vehicles.
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