Chevrolet heads for all-time record

Chevrolet, General Motors Co.’s largest and most important automotive and truck brand, celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2011 by setting an all-time sale record.

Russ Clark, Chevrolet marketing manager for midsized and performance cars, said in a recent interview Chevrolet’s market share around the world has increased by nearly one half of a point this years as it moved towards record-breaking territory. Final sales totals are due out January 4th

Sixty percent of all Chevrolet are now sold outside the United States, which has long been the primary market for the past century, Clark said. Chevrolet began selling cars in South Korea and Vietnam for the first time in 2011 as it continues to expand into new markets.

"A Chevrolet is is sold somewhere in the world every 6.6 seconds," Clark added, while Chevrolet's top 10 markets now include China, Russia, Uzbekistan, and India. One in five Chevrolets are solid in Latin America where it the number-one brand with a market share of 18.7 percent, while Brazil, Mexico Argentina and Columbia are all now important markets for Chevrolet products from passenger cars to trucks and sport utility vehicles,” Clark said.

Despite General Motors push to make Chevrolet a truly global brand with the same world-wide reach as Ford, Toyota and Volkswagen, Chevy has not stinted on its effort in the U.S. Chevrolet is the second place brand US with 13.7 percent market share, placing it just behind arch-rival Ford, GM officials said.

Clark said Chevrolet has also gained one-full point of market in the US as it posted 15 consecutive months of sales gain and appears to be on the verge of 16th monthly sales gain in December.

Sales of Chevrolet passenger cars have paced the surge, climbing 34 percent in recent months thanks to the overhaul of its passenger cars, which has steadily grown more impressive.

The Chevrolet Cruze best been the best selling compact car in the US, while sales of the Malibu have surpassed those of 2010, Clark said.

Both the Corvette and Camaro, which has bested the rival Mustang in salers for the second year in a row, are now tops in their respective segments, Clark noted

In addition, all new subcompact Chevrolet Sonic, which is built in Oakland County, is turning so fast dealers are have only a 17-day supply on their lots.

The Malibu, the longest longest running nameplate in the Chevrolet line have been dropped into the lineup 35 years 35 years ago, also has been completely revamped for 2012 to make it more competitive in the hotly contested mid-sized segment where it is expected to challenge the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord as well as the new Volkswagen Passat.

Courtesy of dailytribune.com