GM shows big comeback in fourth quarter, up 4.8% over 2019



(January 6, 2020) DETROIT — General Motors has announced it sold 771,323 vehicles in the fourth quarter of 2020. Total sales for the quarter were up nearly 5 percent year over year marking its best fourth quarter retail sales since 2007. Sales for the calendar year were 2,547,339 units, with total deliveries down 12 percent year over year and retail deliveries down 6 percent. GM estimates it gained market share across the board in total, retail and fleet deliveries for both the fourth quarter and calendar year.

Retail sales for the industry began to recover in May and reached pre-pandemic levels during the fourth quarter. Sales to fleets are recovering but remain sharply lower, especially daily rental deliveries. Average transaction prices set fourth-quarter and full-year records at $41,886 and $39,229, respectively.

“GM outperformed the industry in the quarter and the full year by a significant margin because our manufacturing and supply chain teams and dealers helped keep people safe at work and our launches on track,” said Steve Carlisle, GM executive vice president and president, GM North America. “Extraordinary teamwork has set up everyone to succeed in 2021 as the economy continues to recover and we further ramp up truck and SUV production.”

In 2021, GM expects to have a full year of production of the all-new Cadillac Escalade, GMC Yukon, Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban. GM has also announced plans to build full-size pickups in Oshawa, Ontario, starting in early 2022. 

GM is especially bullish about its new full-size SUVs, which began launching at the company’s Arlington Assembly plant in Texas in April.

“Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac set the bar high for these products in terms of technology, refinement and utility, and sales are exceeding our expectations,” Carlisle said. “We launched them on time despite the pandemic, and the team in Arlington is working around the clock to meet demand. We have quickly recaptured all the short-term gains our competitors made as we transitioned to the all-new models.”