GM Europe 2008 Sales Down 6.5% On Year At 2.04 Million Vehicles
09 January 2009 - 7:58PM
Dow Jones News
General Motors Corp. (GM) said Friday that sales in Europe were
down 6.5% on the year in 2008 at 2.04 million vehicles, which
translates into a market share of 9.3%, against 9.4% in the prior
year.
"I consider this a success in difficult times. We're encouraged
with our sales performance as we are facing an unprecedented set of
economic challenges due to the global economic crisis," said GM
Europe President Carl-Peter Forster, adding that the industry faces
"increasing headwinds."
In December, the European division of troubled U.S. auto giant
posted sales of 150,893 vehicles, down 14% on the year.
Chevrolet was the company's only brand to post rising sales in
Europe, with a 10.7% increase to 507,038 vehicles in 2008.
Opel/Vauxhall faced a 10.5% decline to 1.46 million vehicles. The
ailing Swedish Saab brand saw sales nosedive by 22% on the year to
66,582 cars in 2008.
Company Web site: www.gm.com
-By Christoph Rauwald, Dow Jones Newswires; +49 69 29 725 512;
christoph.rauwald@dowjones.com
Click here to go to Dow Jones NewsPlus, a web front
page of today's most important business and market news, analysis
and commentary. You can use this link on the day this article is
published and the following day.