© General Motors

General Motors Co. is reporting the best third quarter numbers since 1980, with 2,449,595 vehicles sold around the world. These numbers are up 2 per cent compared to 2013.  In the first nine months of 2014, GM sold 7,371,743 vehicles, up 2 per cent.

The United States and China are the companys two largest markets, with an eight per cent and 14 per cent increase, respectively. Year to date, sales in the United States and China were up 4 per cent and 12 per cent, respectively.

GM is on track to surpass sales of 3 million vehicles in China for the second consecutive year and the company expects to top last year’s record sales of 3.16 million vehicles. During September, GM’s cumulative sales in China surpassed 20 million vehicles.

“GM delivered its best third quarter global sales in 34 years thanks to solid growth in the United States and China, and steady improvement in Opel’s market share,” said GM CEO Mary Barra. “We have launches now underway, including the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon in North America, the Opel/Vauxhall Corsa in Europe, and the Buick Envision and Cadillac ATS-L in China, that will keep our momentum going.”

Highlights (vs. 2013)

Chevrolet had record sales in China in the third quarter, up 13 percent to 169,830 units. For the first nine months of year, the brand is up 7 percent to a record 505,316 units. September was Chevrolet’s best month ever in China.Calendar year to date, Chevrolet sales in South Korea are at record levels.The success of the new Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra helped GM increase its estimated share of the U.S. retail market for large pickups from 32.7 percent in the first quarter of 2014 to 34.7 percent in the second quarter and 35.6 percent in the third quarter.Buick’s global sales were up 7 percent in the third quarter to 284,540 units and they are up 11 percent calendar year to date to 858,046 units, driven by strong growth in the United States and China. Buick’s China sales were up 8 percent in the quarter to 220,578 units and they were up 11 percent to 670,999 units in the first nine months of the year.In China, combined, sales of small SUVs – the Buick Encore, Chevrolet Trax and Captiva – were up 90 percent in the third quarter. In the United States, the Buick Encore has been the best-selling vehicle in its segment for six months in a row. The Chevrolet Trax will launch in the United States in early 2015.Cadillac’s global sales were up 4 percent in the third quarter and they are up 9 percent year to date, driven by strong growth in China. Cadillac’s China sales were up 48 percent in the quarter to 18,665 units and they were up 63 percent to 52,425 units in the first nine months of the year.Opel/Vauxhall gained market share in 11 European countries in the first nine months of this year, including Germany, wher the brand earned 7 percent of the market, up 0.3 points.

SOURCE General Motors Co.