Analysts suggested General Motors first-to-third quarter sales this year had exceeded Toyota Group combined sales, depending on the inclusion or otherwise of GM minority-owned Chinese SAIC-GM-Wuling joint venture sales in its total. Toyota January-September sales rose 7% to 7.05m units, compared to GM 7.06m, which represented in turn a 2%+ increase.
General Motors sold a record 2.38 million cars and trucks around the world in the third quarter of 2007, a 4% increase compared with last year. GM also reported record sales outside the United States, marking the 21st consecutive quarter of year-on-year sales increases outside the U.S.
"GM's record third quarter sales were driven by exceptionally strong demand in emerging markets and our improving competitiveness in developed markets. GM global sales of 7.06 million vehicles for the first nine months of the year reflects solid results and more than 2 percent growth. We're on track to have our second-best annual sales performance in our almost 100-year history," John Middlebrook, GM vice president, Global Sales, Service and Marketing Operations, said this week.
"In the third quarter we experienced record sales around the globe including a 22 percent increase in Latin America, Africa and the Middle East - an all-time quarterly record for that region - and 16 percent growth in the Asia-Pacific region. We're also pleased to post a sales gain of 15 percent in Europe where we sold more than 523,600 vehicles and set a Q3 record."
Sales by GM China (including sales by SAIC-GM-Wuling) of 230,000 vehicles represented a 21% increase compared with Q3 2006. GM is on track to become the first group to sell 1 million vehicles a year in China.
GM Europe delivered 523,600 vehicles in the third quarter, up 15%. GM had the highest quarterly volume increase of the top-ten manufacturers in Europe. Growth in Russia led the increase with a record 65,700 vehicles sold, up 75%. GM's growth in Russia is also supported by the start of Opel Antara production in St. Petersburg. GM is on track to sell more than 200,000 vehicles in Russia this year. Chevrolet achieved record European sales of 113,000 vehicles, up 28%.
Opel/Vauxhall grew volume more than 12% in Europe. For the first nine months of the year, GM Europe regional sales are up more than 8% to 1.65 million vehicles.
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