GM Latin America, Africa and Middle East Achieves Third Quarter Sales Record

[Bruce Nunnally]

Miramar, FL - General Motors Latin America, Africa and Middle East (GM LAAM) region broke a Q3 record selling 341,900 vehicles in the quarter, up 11,400 units over the same period in 2007. GM’s volume increase for the quarter was at 3.4 percent. In addition, GM’s quarterly market share in the region stands at 17.0 percent.

Maureen Kempston Darkes, GM group vice president and president of GM LAAM said, “We are still showing solid growth, despite the global economic crisis that surrounds us. Strong demand for the Chevrolet Aveo continued and was driven by the new five-door hatchback version. In addition, the new Cadillac CTS was a strong performer in the Middle East, and was complemented with the recent launch of the right-hand-drive CTS in South Africa.”

All-time quarterly GM sales records were posted by Brazil, Chile, Ecuador and Peru. Third quarter GM sales records were set by Egypt, North Africa and the Middle East. Double-digit GM sales increases for the quarter were delivered in Brazil at 16 percent, Chile at 19 percent, Ecuador at 64 percent, North Africa at 30 percent, Egypt at 35 percent, Israel at 30 percent and the Middle East at 27 percent.

“We have already passed the one million unit mark and are well on our way to another record sales year. This is our 20th consecutive quarter of year-over-year sales increases,” Kempston Darkes continued.

Through three quarters, GM’s volume is at 1,012,100 units, up 13 percent year-over-year. The CYTD industry growth rate stands at 10 percent. GM LAAM region’s current CYTD market share is 17.3 percent, up .4 points over the same period in 2007.