Chevrolet Reaches Historis Milestone of Over Half A Million Vehicles Sold in Europe

January 9, 2009

Chevrolet Reaches Historic Milestone of Over Half A Million Vehicles Sold in Europe

• Chevrolet with record sales of 507,000 units and record market share of 2.3 percent in 2008
• Overall GM sales in Europe reach 2.04 million vehicles in 2008, with a market share of 9.3%
• GME president Carl- Peter Forster: "a success in difficult times"

Zurich. Despite the downturn in the European market in the second half of 2008, Chevrolet paced its sales performance, achieving a historic milestone of over half a million cars sold in Europe. While the industry faced a total volume decrease of 5 percent, Chevrolet grew nearly 11 percent, selling over 507,000 cars and setting a new market share record of 2.3 percent.

"Chevrolet plays a very important role as GM's value brand in Europe. We have the right cars for the customers in the growth markets of Central and Eastern Europe and are also proving to be very competitive in the entry segments in Western Europe. We are very confident about the brand's potential and look forward to the launch of the Chevrolet Cruze next spring, adding another strong entry to a winning portfolio," said Brent Dewar, GM Europe vice president, sales, marketing and aftersales.

GM sales in Europe reach 2.04 million vehicles in 2008, with a market share of 9.3 percent

General Motors (GM) sales in Europe reached a volume of 2.04 million vehicles in 2008, with a market share of 9.3 percent. Despite the challenging economic conditions, GM managed to sell over 2 million vehicles for the third consecutive year in the region.

"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 Carl-Peter Forster, president of GM Europe. "Our decision to keep a strong focus on quality and our growth strategy for Central and Eastern Europe continue on track. We are facing increasing headwinds, but I'm confident that the GM Europe team is capable of continuing to successfully manage the business during this challenging period.
GM Europe vice president, sales, marketing and aftersales, Brent Dewar, highlighted the work of the retail network operating in very tough market conditions: "It is gratifying to exceed the 2 million mark for the third consecutive year in Europe. It is a credit for the retail network in maintaining a confident outlook amidst the economic uncertainty, while communicating our strong product message in the marketplace."


Dorthe Elimar Arvin
Manager, PR
Mobile: +45 61 62 14 28
E-mail: da@chevrolet.dk

Maria Bruun
Coordinator, PR
Mobile: +45 61 62 14 25
E-mail mb@chevrolet.dk