Jalopnik: november

Toyota Sales Up Overall, Lexus Down Despite Giant Red Bows

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 16:30:00 EST

This is what we get for putting too much faith in fancy wrapping paper. Toyota Motor Company was able to move 197,189 vehicles in November, up 0.3% from the previous year (break out the champagne). Despite disruptions in the housing market and increased fuel costs, Toyota moved approximately 6.2% more passenger cars. This includes a 109.0% increase in Prius sales. Lexus was down 7.0% for the month, with less people buying Lexus SUVs and large sedans. Gas prices didn't slow down sales of the Tundra, which increased 43.2%, though a dated design hurt sales of the Tacoma. Full press release below the jump:

Toyota Reports November Sales

December 3, 2007 -Torrance, CA - Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., today reported best-ever November sales of 197,189 vehicles, an increase of 0.3 percent over last November.

"Rising fuel prices and sliding home values delivered a one-two punch this month," said Jim Lentz, TMS executive vice president. "But the industry's not down for the count. Demand for fresh, more fuel-efficient products continues to show strength."

The Toyota Division posted best-ever November sales of 172,341, an increase of 1.4 percent over last November.

Toyota Division
Toyota Division passenger cars recorded best-ever November sales of 98,749 units, up 6.2 percent over last November. Passenger-car sales were led by Camry, which posted best-ever November sales of 35,409, an increase of 3.6 percent over the same period last year. Camry Hybrid reported sales of 5,118 units in November, up 65 percent over November 2006. The Prius hybrid gas-electric mid-size sedan posted best-ever November sales of 16,737, an increase of 109 percent over last November. Corolla reported November sales of 25,012 units.

Toyota Division light truck sales were down 4.4 percent, with November sales of 73,592 units. Light truck sales were led by the all-new Tundra full-size pickup with best-ever November sales of 14,988, an increase of 43.2 percent over the year-ago month. The RAV4 compact sport utility vehicle reported November sales of 12,354, up 8.1 percent over the same period last year. Highlander and Highlander Hybrid posted combined best-ever sales of 12,312 in November, up 10.9 percent over last November. The Highlander Hybrid gas-electric mid-size SUV reported sales of 2,577 units for the month.

Scion posted November sales of 9,619 units. The tC sports coupe led the way with November sales of 3,845 units. The xB urban utility vehicle posted November sales of 3,842 units, an increase of 10.4 percent over last November.

Lexus Division
Lexus passenger cars reported November sales of 14,892 units, a decrease of 7.8 percent from November 2006. Passenger-car sales were led by the ES 350 luxury sedan with November sales of 5,902 units. The IS 250/350 luxury sport sedan was up 6.9 percent with sales of 3,849. The LS 460/460 L and new LS 600h L luxury sedans reported combined sales of 2,668. The LS 600h L hybrid luxury sedan posted sales of 170 units for the month. The GS 350 luxury sport sedan had sales of 1,989, up 19.5 percent, while the GS 460/450h posted combined sales of 216, an increase of 10.2 percent.

Lexus Division light trucks reported November sales totaling 9,956 units, a decrease of 5.7 percent from the year-ago month. The RX 350 and RX 400h posted combined November sales of 8,038 units. The RX 400h hybrid luxury utility vehicle reported sales of 1,674 units for the month, an increase of 26 percent.

TMS Hybrids
TMS calendar-year-to-date hybrid sales totaled 253,466 units, an increase of 45 percent over the same period last year. In November, TMS posted sales of 26,376 hybrid vehicles, up 85 percent over last November. Toyota Division posted sales of 24,432 hybrids, up 91 percent over November 2006. Lexus Division posted sales of 1,944 hybrids, an increase of 29 percent over last November.

There were 25 selling days this month and last November. [ Source: Toyota]

GM Reports an 11% Decrease in Sales for November

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 14:30:00 EST

It was a rough November for GM, with the company reporting total sales of 263,654 vehicles, representing a drop of 11% from November 2006. Though this can be partially blamed on a planned reduction in rental fleet sales, the big news is that the General is have a rough time selling trucks, with a 14.9% year-over-year decrease in light trucks/SUV's and a 15.5% in trucks. Hummer stumbled as well, with a 30.5% year-over-year decrease. In the silver lining department, the new CTS has seen a 15% increase in sales and the Chevy Malibu is up 40% compared to last year (pushing overall Chevy car sales up 15%). None of this would have happened if they'd have landed the Knight Rider gig. The full report below the jump:

GM Reports 263,654 November Deliveries; Retail Car Deliveries Up

* Chevrolet Malibu Retail Sales Up 40 Percent; Chevy Cars Up 15 Percent
* All-New CTS Drives 15 Percent Cadillac Car Sales Increase
* Enclave, OUTLOOK and Acadia Crossovers Post Strong Retail Sales
* Dealer Inventories Down 97,000 Vehicles Year-Over-Year
* Planned Daily Rental Sales Reduction of 28.5 Percent

DETROIT - After three consecutive monthly increases, GM dealers in the United States delivered 263,654 vehicles in November, down 11 percent compared with a year ago, reflecting continuing reductions in daily rental sales and softening industry demand.

GM's retail car deliveries increased, based on the strength of the all-new Chevrolet Malibu, 2008 Cadillac CTS and fuel-efficient Chevrolet Aveo, Cobalt, Pontiac G5 and G6.

"Integral to our strategy is to grow our share in the key car segments. The retail performance, especially from the new Chevrolet Malibu and Cadillac CTS, demonstrates the enthusiasm customers have for these outstanding new vehicles," said Mark LaNeve, GM North America vice president, Vehicle Sales, Service and Marketing. "The recognition of the 2008 CTS as Motor Trend's Car of the Year reinforces what we are hearing from customers about this phenomenal car. And, not to be outdone, the new Malibu is flying off dealer lots."

There were several bright spots in retail deliveries, led by brisk sales in the economy, small, mid and luxury car segments and mid-utility crossovers. Chevrolet retail car sales were up more than 15 percent, Cadillac retail car sales, driven by a 48-percent increase in CTS sales, were up more than 13 percent and Pontiac retail car sales were up more than 8 percent. Total retail deliveries were down 9.7 percent, largely due to reduced availability of 2007 models after a strong sell-down in September and October.

"The Malibu, CTS and Enclave have some of the fastest turn rates in the industry," LaNeve added. "We've added production capacity at our Orion Assembly plant for Malibu to keep up with growing demand and dealer orders."

Together, GM's mid-utility crossovers (Buick Enclave, Saturn OUTLOOK and GMC Acadia) sold nearly 13,000 vehicles at retail. Saturn retail truck sales, driven by the OUTLOOK, were up more than 35 percent. Chevrolet HHR retail sales were up 60 percent.

The Pontiac and GMC divisions showed retail sales increases.

GM continued to reduce sales to daily rental fleets, down more than 14,000 vehicles, or almost 29 percent compared with a year ago. Total fleet sales were down 16 percent.

Retail sales for the month, as a percentage of total sales, showed an increase of more than one percentage point (to 74 percent of total sales) compared with a year ago.

Vehicle inventories were down 97,000 vehicles compared with year-ago levels and stood at about 993,000 vehicles at the end of the month.

Quality, reliability and durability (QRD) remain key factors for customers when purchasing a new vehicle. "GM provides the best coverage in the industry. We take care of the vehicle and the owner like no other manufacturer," LaNeve added. An increasing number of consumers cite GM's willingness to stand behind its quality as a reason to buy a new GM vehicle. GM's new 5 Year/100,000 Mile Powertrain Limited Warranty continues to make GM a better choice for customers. GM's coverage focuses on the complete ownership experience and includes other provisions that competitors do not offer, including transferability to the next owner, more complete coverage of parts, and coverage for new and certified used vehicles. In addition, GM offers superior complementary programs, such as courtesy transportation and roadside assistance.

Certified Used Vehicle Sales

November 2007 sales for all certified GM brands, including GM Certified Used Vehicles, Cadillac Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles, Saturn Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles, Saab Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles, and HUMMER Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles, were 37,946 vehicles, down nearly 11 percent from last November. Total year-to-date certified GM sales are 479,946 vehicles, up 0.3 percent from the same period last year.

GM Certified Used Vehicles, the industry's top-selling manufacturer-certified used brand, posted 32,748 sales, down 10 percent from last November. Year-to-date sales for GM Certified Used Vehicles are 421,190 vehicles, up 2 percent from the same period in 2006.

Cadillac Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles posted November sales of 3,227 vehicles, down 9 percent from last November. Saturn Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles sold 1,372 vehicles in November, up nearly 2 percent. Saab Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles sold 468 vehicles, down 54 percent, and HUMMER Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles sold 131 vehicles, up 17 percent.

"While November was a challenging sales month for certified GM brands, year-to-date GM Certified Used Vehicle sales are up 2 percent through November and we're in a position to set a new industry annual sales record for the manufacturer-certified category," said LaNeve.

GM North America Reports November 2007 Production, 2007 Fourth-Quarter Production Forecast Revised at 1.025 Million Vehicles, 2008 First-Quarter Production Forecast Set at 950,000 Vehicles

In November, GM North America produced 366,000 vehicles (134,000 cars and 232,000 trucks). This is up 5,000 units or 1 percent compared to November 2006 when the region produced 361,000 vehicles (148,000 cars and 213,000 trucks). (Production totals include joint venture production of 22,000 vehicles in November 2007 and 20,000 vehicles in November 2006.)

The region's 2007 fourth-quarter production forecast is revised at 1.025 million vehicles (350,000 cars and 675,000 trucks), up 25,000 units or 3 percent from last month's guidance. Additionally, the region's initial 2008 first-quarter production forecast is set at 950,000 vehicles (344,000 cars and 606,000 trucks), down 113,000 vehicles or 11 percent from first-quarter 2007 actuals. [Source: GM]

Ford Sales Up For First Time in 12 Months, Mission Accomplished!

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 13:00:00 EST

It's taken 12 months of steady declines (strategic withdrawals) before Mark Fields could claim a victory in sales, by selling 182,951 cars in November. That's a whopping 0.4% increase over November 2006. Most surprisingly, the refreshed and SYNC-ed Ford Focus realized growth of 18% compared with last year. Sales of crossovers were up 119% compared with last year, thanks to the support of the Edge and MKX. How much of this is SYNC actually propelling sales or just a reflection of how poor things were last November is uncertain, but it's a bit of good news for the automaker. Press release below the jump

FORD EDGE, LINCOLN MKX SET CROSSOVER GROWTH PACE; CUSTOMERS ALSO SNAP UP HYBRIDS, CARS, SYNC

* Ford Motor Company sales totaled 182,951 in November, up 0.4 percent versus a year ago.
* All-new Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX paced Ford, Lincoln and Mercury crossovers to a sales increase of 119 percent; year-to-date crossover sales were up 63 percent.
* Ford Focus posts 18 percent sales gain and Ford Fusion sales were up 39 percent.
* SYNC-equipped units are turning fast and elevating opinions and consideration for Ford.
* Lincoln retail sales were higher for the 14th month in a row.
* Ford announces first quarter 2008 North American production.

DEARBORN, Mich., Dec 3 - Continued growth in crossover sales and increased demand for hybrids, fuel-efficient cars and Ford's industry-exclusive SYNC in-car connectivity technology drove Ford Motor Company's (NYSE:F) sales in November. Company sales totaled 182,951, up 0.4 percent versus a year ago. November marked the first sales increase following 12 months of declines.

"It is encouraging to see our newest cars, crossovers, hybrids and industry-first SNYC technology resonating with customers," said Mark Fields, president, The Americas. "Continuing to deliver more quality products that people really want and carefully gauging customer demand in the months ahead will help ensure we stay on track with our plan."

Consumer demand continues to grow for the all-new Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX crossover utility vehicles. Edge sales were 12,594 and Lincoln MKX sales were 3,360. Total sales of crossover utilities, including the redesigned Ford Escape, Ford Taurus X, and Mercury Mariner were 33,271, up 119 percent compared with a year ago. Escape Hybrid and Mariner Hybrid models set November sales records.

Sales of the new 2008 Ford Focus were up 18 percent compared with a year ago. Focus is one of 12 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models equipped with SYNC, an affordable, industry-exclusive in-car connectivity technology that fully integrates most Bluetooth-enabled cell phones and MP3 players into a customer's driving experience.

"All of our SYNC-equipped models are turning quickly," said Fields. "Affordable technology that integrates mobile communication and entertainment devices appears to be resonating with consumers. Beyond that, SYNC appears to be changing opinions about Ford and elevating consideration for our products and brands."

Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan also contributed to the company's November sales increase. Fusion sales were up 39 percent and Milan sales increased 43 percent.

Lincoln continued its winning streak in November as retail sales climbed 4 percent. November marked the 14th straight month of higher retail sales for the premium brand. Total Lincoln sales in November were down 7 percent, reflecting lower fleet sales.

In November, Ford, Lincoln and Mercury sales to individual retail customers were 3 percent lower than a year ago. Sales to daily rental companies were down 6 percent, but sales to commercial fleet and government customers were up 25 percent.

North American Production

In the first quarter of 2008, the company plans to produce 685,000 vehicles in North America. This is the initial forecast of first quarter production. In the first quarter of 2007, the company produced 740,000 vehicles. Fourth-quarter 2007 production is 645,000 units, unchanged from the previously announced plan. [Source: Ford]

Breaking Records! Toyota Likes To Be On Top Of Ford, Sales Up A Super Best-Ever 15.9%

Ray Wert — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 15:06:38 EST

ToMoCo continued it's dominatrix-like smacking of FoMoCo, as the automaker from the land of the rising sun reported sales of 196,695 vehicles during the month of November. That's a 15.9% increase in month-to-month sales from 2005. That broke down to an increase of 18% in the Toyota Division, and what would appear to be a November to remember for the Lexus Division, with an increase in sales of 4.2%. Not too shabby, and enough to best FoMoCo this month — but who knows what'll happen in what may be an incentive-filled December. Will it be one to remember for Toyota, or will Ford be talking about what they'll be feeling. Stay tuned. Full release after the jump. – Ray Wert

Toyota Reports November Sales 12/01/2006 Torrance, CA
December 1, 2006 - Torrance, CA - Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., today reported best-ever November sales of 196,695 vehicles, an increase of 15.9 percent over November 2005. Calendar-year-to-date (CYTD) sales total 2,314,202 units, up 12.5 percent over the same period last year.

The Toyota Division posted best-ever November sales of 169,976, up 18 percent. The Lexus Division reported best-ever November sales with 26,719 units sold, an increase of 4.2 percent.

Toyota Division
Toyota Division passenger cars recorded best-ever November sales of 92,970, up 14.3 percent over the same period last year. Passenger car sales were led by Camry, which posted November sales of 34,189, up 15.1 percent from the year-ago month. Camry Hybrid, which went on sale in late April, reported sales of 3,100 units in November. Corolla reported best-ever November sales of 27,015, up 13.9 percent over the same period last year. The all-new Yaris subcompact, which went on sale in March, posted sales totaling 5,936 units for the month. The Prius gas-electric hybrid mid-size sedan posted best-ever November sales of 8,008, an increase of 1.5 percent.

Toyota Division light truck sales were up 22.8 percent, with a best-ever November total of 77,006 units. Light truck sales were led by Sienna with monthly sales of 13,535, up 15 percent over the same period last year. The RAV4 compact sport utility vehicle (SUV) reported best-ever November sales of 11,425, up 156.9 percent over the same period last year. The all-new FJ Cruiser, which went on sale in March, reported sales of 5,459 units. The Tundra full-size pickup truck reported November sales of 10,469. The Highlander Hybrid gas-electric mid-size SUV reported sales of 1,667 units for the month. Highlander and Highlander Hybrid posted combined November sales of 11,100, up 14.7 percent over the same period last year.
Scion reported November sales of 10,769 units. The tC sports coupe led the way with November sales of 5,084 units. Scion xA sales were up 11.5 percent, posting best-ever November sales of 2,204 units.

Lexus Division
Lexus passenger cars posted best-ever November sales of 16,156 units, an increase of 15.4 percent over November 2005. Passenger car sales were led by the ES 350 luxury sedan with best-ever November sales of 6,678 units, up 44 percent. The IS 250 and IS 350 luxury sport sedans recorded combined November sales of 3,599 units. The LS 430 and the all-new LS 460 reported combined sales of 3,613, an increase of 116.3 percent.

Lexus Division light trucks reported November sales totaling 10,563 units. The 2006 RX 400h luxury hybrid SUV reported sales of 1,327 units for the month. The RX 350 and RX 400h enjoyed combined November sales of 8,052 units.

TMS calendar-year-to-date hybrid sales totaled 173,859 units. In November, hybrid sales posted 14,278 units.

There were 25 selling days this sales month and last November.

Breaking! Whoa, Joe Shows Chrysler Group Sales That Don't Blow — DCX Up 4.7%, Beats Ford

Ray Wert — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 14:31:00 EST

The German-American hybrid saw US sales increase this month by 4.7%, selling 186,635 vehicles, which represents a 21% jump from the Mercedes unit and — Holy Joe! — a jump of 2.9% at the 'merican side of the company, the Chrysler Group. Whoa! Joe Eberhardt, the sales and marketing chief in Auburn Hills totally knows Chrysler Group sales in November. But the real big news is that the big cross-Atlantic merger of equals beat cross-town rivals FoMoCo to jump from 4th biggest automaker in sales for November to 3rd. True, we hear that they both got spanked by ToMoCo — but whatevs — it must have been all ~~those incentives~~ that direct mail they've been doing. – Ray Wert

Breaking! GM Releases Sales Without A Release, Sales Up 6%

Ray Wert — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 14:10:27 EST

At first my big question for General Motors — are y'all planning on issuing a press release at some point to provide your numbers? Usually the sales numbers are posted online about 15 minutes before the start of the conference call — and well, the conference call's started and narry a number to be found. But here's what we know from Paul Ballew on the call — sales are up 6%, with retail sales up 11% and fleet sales down 7%. He's also telling us truck sales are up 15% and up 17% in retail sales. All of these are good numbers, but we'll wait for the full release whenever the hell the General decides to release it. – Ray Wert

UPDATE: The General's release, which apparently got a discount in the post-Thanksgiving Day sales of the word "retail," below the jump.

UPDATE 2: Also, they're cutting 1st quarter production — to do a better job of "managing inventories." How about snagging an idea from down the road, like some Chrysler-esque incentives — err — direct mail?

For Release: December 1, 2006
GM U.S. Retail Sales Up 11 Percent, Total Sales Up 6 Percent Compared With Last Year

GGM's U.S. Divisions Deliver 297,556 Vehicles In November

Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado and GMC Sierra Pickup Trucks On The Move — Large Pickup Retail Sales Up 29 Percent

New Tahoe, Yukon, and Escalade Push Full-Size Utilities Total Sales Up 73 Percent

Planned Daily Rental Fleet Reductions Impact Q1 2007 Production Forecast

DETROIT - General Motors dealers in the United States sold 297,556 new cars and trucks in November, a 6 percent increase compared with last year. Beginning with the 2007 model year in September, retail sales are up 13 percent and while retail sales for November were up 11 percent compared to a year ago. Retail truck sales were up 17 percent, led by a 29 percent increase in large pickup retail sales such as Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra and a 36 percent increase in luxury utility retail sales, including triple-digit retail increases for the entire Cadillac Escalade lineup. Retail car sales were up 1 percent, led by Chevrolet Impala, Buick Lucerne, Pontiac G5, Saturn Aura and Cadillac CTS.

"We continue to experience strong customer demand for our lineup of fuel efficient vehicles and new launch products. In a challenging market, we are pleased to be gaining momentum with our truck lineup, which we attribute to offering the best fuel economy and the best warranty in the segment, " said Mark LaNeve, General Motors North America vice president, Vehicle Sales, Service and Marketing. "Importantly, sales were solid throughout the month with dealers driving traffic with our annual year-end Red Tag Event." The Red Tag Event runs through January 2, 2007.

GMC, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Buick, Saab and Saturn all had retail sales increases in November. GMC was up 23 percent retail, compared with a year ago, with double-digit sales increases for the Sierra, Yukon and Yukon XL. Cadillac retail sales were up 26 percent, with a 15 percent increase in CTS and triple-digit increases for the entire Escalade lineup. Chevrolet retail sales were up 9 percent, with retail increases by Silverado, up 23 percent; Tahoe, up 50 percent; and Suburban, up 36 percent. Buick retail sales were up 38 percent, led by Lucerne which saw a sales increase of more than 6,000 vehicles compared with last November. Saab retail sales were up 25 percent, driven by a 87 percent hike for 9-5, a 64 percent rise for 9-7X and a 11 percent retail increase for 9-3. Lastly, Saturn retail sales were up 14 percent as the all-new 2007 Aura and Sky continue to bring new customers into the Saturn family.

"Our Manufacturing team worked extremely hard on a high-quality launch and has already produced more than 50,000 new 2007 Chevy Silverados and GMC Sierras, " LaNeve added. "This accelerated launch means we are in the marketplace 13 weeks ahead of schedule - and most importantly - ahead of the competition with the best quality, fuel economy and value in the important full-size pickup segment."

GM continues to reduce its reliance on daily rental sales. Sales to daily rental companies were down 13 percent compared to year-ago levels, while non-daily rental fleet business was up 5 percent. Overall fleet sales of 80,452 vehicles were down 7 percent compared with last November.

Certified Used Vehicles

November sales for GM Certified Used Vehicles, Cadillac Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles, Saab Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles and HUMMER Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles, were 42,006 down 1 percent comparable to last November's sales. Certified sales from Saturn Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles were not available at the time of this release. Total year-to-date certified GM sales, excluding November sales of Saturn Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles, are 478,389 units, down 1 percent compared with the same period last year.

GM Certified Used Vehicles, the industry's top-selling certified pre-owned brand, posted 36,485 sales in November, down 1.7 percent from November 2005. Year-to-date sales for GM Certified Used Vehicles are 413,688 units, comparable to last year's results for the same period.

Cadillac Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles posted 3,545 sales in November, up 16 percent from last November. Saturn certified pre-owned sold 1,351 unites down 25 percent. Saab Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles sold 514 units, up nearly 5 percent. In its eleventh month of operation, HUMMER Certified Pre-Owned sold 112 units.

"Cadillac Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles continues to roll along with another strong monthly sales performance. For the month, they were up 16 percent over November 2005, with year-to-date sales up 8 percent from the same period last year," said LaNeve. "Through November, GM Certified Used Vehicles, the industry's top-selling certified brand, sold 413,688 units, comparable to its category record annual sales in 2005."

GM North America Reports November 2006 Production, 2006 Fourth Quarter Production Forecast Remains Unchanged at 1.110 Million Vehicles, 2007 First Quarter Production Forecast Set at 1.140 Million Vehicles

In November, GM North America produced 360,000 vehicles (148,000 cars and 212,000 trucks). This is down 71,000 units or 16 percent compared to November 2005 when the region produced 431,000 vehicles (169,000 cars and 262,000 trucks). (Production totals include joint venture production of 20,000 vehicles in November 2006 and 30,000 vehicles in November 2005.)

The region's 2006 fourth quarter production forecast is unchanged at 1.110 million vehicles (449,000 cars and 661,000 trucks). In the fourth quarter of 2005 the region produced 1.281 million vehicles (483,000 cars and 798,000 trucks). Additionally, the region's initial 2007 first quarter production forecast is set at 1.140 million vehicles (457,000 cars and 683,000 trucks), down 9 percent from first quarter 2006 actuals. The majority of the production decrease in the first quarter is attributed to GM's ongoing efforts to reduce low-margin daily rental fleet sales. The remainder of the cuts is attributed to shifting production to the company's new full-size pickups and the ongoing management of inventories.

GM also announced unchanged 2006 fourth quarter production forecast and initial 2007 first quarter production forecasts for its international regions.

GM Europe- GM Europe's 2006 fourth quarter production forecast is unchanged at 445,000 units. In the fourth quarter of 2005 the region built 443,000 vehicles. The region's initial 2007 first quarter production forecast is set at 508,000 vehicles.

GM Asia Pacific- The region's 2006 fourth quarter production forecast is unchanged at 504,000 units. In the fourth quarter of 2005 the region built 420,000 vehicles. GM Asia Pacific's initial 2007 first quarter production forecast is set at 539,000 vehicles.

GM Latin America, Africa and the Middle East - The region's 2006 fourth quarter production forecast is unchanged at 215,000 units. In the fourth quarter of 2005 the region built 188,000 vehicles. The region's 2007 first quarter production forecast is set as 214,000 vehicles.

General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world's largest automaker, has been the global industry sales leader for 75 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 327,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 33 countries. In 2005, 9.17 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn and Vauxhall. GM operates one of the world's leading finance companies, GMAC Financial Services, which offers automotive, residential and commercial financing and insurance. GM's OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com.

Note: GM sales and production results are available on GM Media OnLine at http://media.gm.com by clicking on News, then Sales/Production. In this press release and related comments by General Motors management, we use words like "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "forecast," "objective," "plan," "goal" and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements, representing our current judgment about possible future events. We believe these judgments are reasonable, but actual results may differ materially due to a variety of important factors. Among other items, such factors might include: the pace of introductions and market acceptance of new products; the effect of competition on our markets and significant changes in the competitive environment; price increases or shortages of fuel; and changes in laws, regulations or tax rates. GM's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly report on Form 10-Q provide information about these factors, which may be revised or supplemented in future reports to the SEC on Form 10-Q or 8-K.

# # #

Breaking! Ford Announces The Sharp Sting Of November's Unrealistic Expectations, Sales Down 10%

Ray Wert — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 13:47:41 EST

You know, we understand it's important to reach for the moon, but it's probably best to have realistic expectations when you're still working on that whole turnaround plan thing. Like for example, take FoMoCo, who just released their November sales, down a whopping 10% from month-to-month levels a year ago. It's probably not a good idea to have your senior sales analyst, George Pipas, saying things on your sales call like

"were our sales expectations [for the month of November] realistic? Frankly, no..."

That's normally a bad thing. What else is a bad thing? How about truck sales down 12.9% for the month, hitting a year-to-date drop of 14.4%. Luckily, their car sales were down too — 2.6%. The folks from Dearborn are calling that a disappointment. I'd have to agree. Somehow I think that maybe if they'd had the Edge this month maybe they could find a way to have held on to the #2 spot in US sales — frankly, I don't think they've done that. – Ray Wert