Auto news and reviews from Car Buyer's Notebook.com: Cadillac Archives

August 15, 2008

Cadillac to offer peek into its future

CTS Sport Wagon, SRX crossover to be seen today

2010 SRX cadillac crossover 15aug-08.jpeg

Cadillac is to reveal two key new models today: a dynamic station wagon version of its hit CTS sport sedan and an all-new replacement for its SRX crossover wagon.

The CTS Sport Wagon and new SRX are both expected to go on sale in the first half of next year as 2010 models.

The CTS wagon is vital to Cadillac's plans to boost European sales and attract cutting-edge customers at home in North America. Sport wagons account for around half the sales CTS competitors like the BMW 3- and 5-series and Audi A4 and A6 rack up in key countries like Germany.

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August 10, 2008

Cadillac Escalade Hybrid Launch Underway

DETROIT, Mich. - The launch of the world's first hybrid applied to a large luxury SUV, the 2009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid, begins this month.

Achieving a 50-percent improvement in fuel economy in city driving, Escalade Hybrid arrives at Cadillac dealerships in the United States with an MSRP of $71,685. That represents a premium of only $3,600 over a comparably-equipped Escalade.

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August 6, 2008

GM Certified Used Vehicles to List Entire Inventory Onine

DETROIT - GM Certified Used Vehicles, the industry's top-selling manufacturer-certified used vehicle brand*, announced it has reached an agreement to list the entire national inventory of GM Certified Used Vehicles and Saturn Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles on EveryCarListed.com, a new consumer automotive listings site.

The EveryCarListed.com relationship provides shoppers a new online resource that makes it easy for them to research and find GM Certified Used Vehicles.

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August 2, 2008

GM Reports July Sales Down 26.7%

DETROIT - GM today announced July sales results, highlighted by continued strong performance in small and midsize cars and crossovers. GM dealers in the United States delivered 235,184 vehicles in July, down 26.7 percent.

Weak industry conditions caused by a challenging U.S. economic environment, higher fuel prices and inventory shortages in critical segments such as compact cars contributed to the overall sales decline for the month.

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August 1, 2008

General Motors to Showcase Historic Motorama Vehicles

More than fifty years ago, General Motors' traveling Motorama showcased dramatic concept "Dream Cars" as interpretations of future automobile design.

From 1949 through 1960, expressive vehicles including the Cadillac Lemans and Firebird I traveled the United States as a statement of General Motors design leadership.

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July 25, 2008

GM to Broaden Employee Discounts

DETROIT -- General Motors Corp., hoping to boost demand amid a drastic downturn in the U.S. auto industry, will offer employee discounts to nonemployees on a limited basis.

GM Sales Chief Mark LaNeve rolled out the plan in an email to employees late Thursday. Employees can give one employee discount away between now and the end of July, a GM spokeswoman said.

"All active GM employees in the U.S. have the opportunity to provide one employee discount to anyone you know who is considering the purchase of a new vehicle," Mr. LaNeve said in the email.

GM's New Interactive Site Goes "Undercover" to Educate Consumers

DETROIT - What would happen if you turned more than 20 undercover film and surveillance professionals with eight cameras loose to show the potential drawbacks of buying a used vehicle that is not manufacturer certified?

That's what GM's Certified Used Vehicles team did and the results were not at all surprising.

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OnStar Opens "Crisis Assist" Emergency Services to Those Affected by Dolly

DETROIT - OnStar reminds its subscribers in Southeast Texas that a simple push of the OnStar button in GM vehicles will put them in contact with specially-trained Crisis Advisors.

OnStar's Crisis Assist capabilities include specially trained Crisis Advisors, who will help with:

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General Motors Heritage Collection Comes To Saratoga Auto Museum

Saratoga Springs, NY - The Saratoga Automobile Museum will celebrate the General Motors Centennial with a focus on Cadillac, America's iconic luxury car.

A fabulous selection of historic Cadillacs, on loan from the General Motors Heritage Collection, will be on display from July 27 through November 2.

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July 23, 2008

GM Announces Second Quarter Global Sales of More Than 2.28 Million Vehicles

DETROIT - Record-setting sales performance in GM's Latin America, Africa and Middle East, Asia Pacific and Europe regions during the second quarter of 2008 helped General Motors sell more than 2.28 million vehicles globally during the second quarter 2008.

GM sales outside of its North America region grew 10 percent (up 116,000 vehicles). Compared to second quarter 2007, GM's total sales were down 5 percent, reflecting continuing economic pressures and labor disruptions in the U.S. market, which pushed North America sales down 20 percent (236,000 vehicles).

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July 18, 2008

General Motors Forging Ahead

By Bob Lutz, GM Vice Chairman

As you've no doubt heard me say before, we've made a lot of progress in the past few years at General Motors. And we've delivered on what we said we would do. We've tackled the legacy costs. We've improved our quality. We went from having, at least in North America, some mediocre products to having acclaimed products that are selling extremely well, especially on the passenger car side. In June, for example, in a slow market, our retail car sales were up 8 percent.

We continue to reinvigorate our product portfolio. We're pursuing advanced propulsion technologies that will greatly reduce dependence on petroleum. And, we're reacting to the swiftly changing market conditions here in the U.S.

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July 10, 2008

GM posts record sales of 1.16 million vehicles in Europe

Zurich -- In the first half of 2008, General Motors (GM) sales in Europe reached a record of 1,160,935 vehicles, an increase of 31,613 units (or 2.8 percent) compared to the same period of 2007. The company market share was 9.5 percent.

"GM is successfully managing to keep its sales momentum in Europe, thanks to an aggressive strategy for growth in Eastern and Central Europe. Despite the headwinds in some of the major western markets, I'm proud to say that our multi-brand strategy is paying off and thanks to a great teamwork we are quickly managing to leverage growth in the key new markets of Europe," said Carl-Peter Forster, GM Europe President.

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July 7, 2008

GM Weighs More Layoffs, Sale of Brands

DETROIT -- Bruised by a deep sales slump and a half-century-low in its stock price, General Motors Corp. is preparing to cut thousands more white-collar jobs and is considering whether it should sell or shutter more of its brands, people familiar with the matter said.

Both moves are part of a broader re-evaluation of GM's strategy and of its ability to meet an internal projection of returning to profitability in 2010, these people said. The job cuts are likely to be approved when GM's board of directors meets in early August, these people said.

The company has already decided to put its Hummer division up for sale. Discussions among top executives about the number of brands have intensified in recent weeks, and signal a potential major shift in thinking by the company -- especially by Chief Executive Rick Wagoner. As top executives review future cars and trucks earmarked for various brands, "nothing is off the table," several people said. All but Cadillac and Chevrolet, which GM considers core to its business, are undergoing close scrutiny, other people said.

July 2, 2008

GM Extends Zero Percent Financing Deals

DETROIT -- General Motors notified its dealers this morning that it will be extending its 0 percent financing sale through Monday, July 7.

The sale conditions remain the same -- 0 percent financing for 72 months on most GM vehicles. The so-called 72-hour sale ran from June 24 through June 30.

July 1, 2008

GM Reports June Sales Down 18.5%

DETROIT - GM today announced June sales results, highlighted by an 8 percent rise in retail car sales and continued strong performance in crossovers.

Despite the significant decline of industry market volume and the limited availability of some of GM's most popular models, GM dealers in the United States delivered 265,937 vehicles in June, down 8 percent (18.5 percent unadjusted). Truck sales declined 6 percent.

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June 30, 2008

GMnext Takes Music Fans Backstage At Rothbury Festival

DETROIT - The adventure continues as GMnext Plug In marks the halfway point of its global tour of music festivals, with Tenacious D's Kyle Gass interviewing bands backstage at the Rothbury Festival, July 3 - 6.

Following his recent appearances at the Rock on the Range Festival in Columbus , Ohio, Southside Festival in Germany and Pinkpop in the Netherlands, Kyle will once again be the face of GMnext Plug In at Rothbury.

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June 15, 2008

New Appointments Build GM Brand Channel Alignment

DETROIT - General Motors announced personnel moves today in support of its four retail channels: Chevrolet; Premium (Cadillac, Hummer, Saab); Buick-Pontiac-GMC; and Saturn. The moves streamline the organization by combining or eliminating job functions. This will help the brands better deliver world-class products to customers, and build value for GM and its dealers.

The following appointments are effective July 1st; however these individuals will begin to transition into their new roles immediately.

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June 14, 2008

GM Rolls Out Military Discount

DETROIT - General Motors today announced an online vehicle discount program for active and reserve military members that can save military families thousands of dollars when purchasing a new car or truck from Chevrolet, Saturn, Pontiac, Buick, Saab, Cadillac, GMC or HUMMER.

"The GM Military Discount Program" is an online web site that enables active and reserve members of the U.S. Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines, National Guard and Coast Guard to get a new vehicle discount. Under the program, military members can receive as much as a $1,500 discount off the MSRP of a new Buick Enclave crossover; $2,200 off a new Chevrolet Impala sedan; or as much as $4,200 off a new GMC Sierra pickup truck.

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June 10, 2008

2009 Cadillac CTS-V Performance certified at 556 horsepower

MILFORD, Mich. - As final testing of the limited-edition 2009 CTS-V nears completion, the results suggest that Cadillac's upcoming sports sedan is entering the stratosphere of the world's highest-performing cars.

Cadillac announces the following performance specifications for all-new 2009 CTS-V:

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June 6, 2008

2009 Caddy XLR Amps up the Drama

Detroit, Mich. -- Since its inception in 2004, Cadillac's XLR has been a fresh face in the elite club of the world's finest luxury roadsters. Today Cadillac revealed the new 2009 edition of the XLR Roadster, featuring styling and model enhancements providing more dramatic design and technology.

Only the finest editions of Cadillac's retractable hardtop roadster will be offered in 2009: The luxurious XLR Platinum and the high-performance XLR-V.

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GM looks beyond improved quality scores

By Jamie Hresko, GM Vice President, Quality

There are many gate-checks, so to speak, here at GM when it comes to quality. However, the ones that matter most to you, the customer, the driver, are the external measures that tell you if we’re all wet or if we’re running hard and clean. J.D. Power & Associates has announced its Initial Quality Survey results. I won’t re-iterate the content of the press release.

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June 3, 2008

GM Reports May Sales Down 28%

DETROIT - GM dealers in the United States delivered 272,363 vehicles in May.

The sales increase in fuel efficient cars and crossover vehicles could not make up for soft truck demand and a decline in fleet deliveries impacted by the American Axle strike.

Approximately 15-18,000 sales were lost in May, or will be retimed, due to various work stoppages including the American Axle strike. Compared with a strong May 2007, total sales were down 30 percent (28 percent unadjusted). Truck sales declined 39 percent.

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May 30, 2008

GM to give locksmiths access to key info

GM is implementing a nationwide process for registered locksmiths to obtain information to make replacement keys and obtain immobilizer PIN information for GM vehicles.

Effective May 30, 2008, using a process established in December 2007 to comply with California law, any licensed (where licensing is required) and bonded locksmiths in the U.S. who have complied with the National Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF) Secure Data Release Model verification process will be able to access key code and immobilizer (when applicable) information when the verified registered owner / lessee of a vehicle requests the locksmith to produce a key to enter, start, and operate the vehicle.

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May 29, 2008

Cadillac Top Brand for Vehicle Satisfaction

by Jim Taylor, General Manager, Cadillac

We all have our favorites, our own loyalties and preferences. But in a survey of new vehicle buyers released today, only one brand can be at the top.

The number one brand in the US in owner satisfaction in 2008 is Cadillac, according to AutoPacific’s annual Vehicle Satisfaction Awards (VSA) study.

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Cadillac Tops 2008 Vehicle Satisfaction Awards

TUSTIN, Calif. -- A study released today by noted automotive consulting firm AutoPacific, Inc. summarizes the results of its 2008 model year vehicle satisfaction research. AutoPacific's Vehicle Satisfaction Award (VSA) is an industry benchmark for objectively measuring how satisfied an owner is with their new passenger car or light truck.

In a year that promises to be the toughest in a decade, owner-based awards like AutoPacific's Vehicle Satisfaction Award will help customers make their purchase decisions.

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May 23, 2008

OnStar Receives Honors at Telematics Update Awards

Detroit – OnStar by GM captured the “Best Embedded Telematics Navigation Product Award” at the 2008 Detroit Telematics Awards event.

Awards are judged by independent industry experts and are open to all companies in the automotive and mobile telematics eco-system that develop and provide compelling products, services, and content.

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May 20, 2008

GM's Jamie Hresko touts quality gains

by Jamie Hresko, GM Vice President, Quality

So, I’m watching the NFL draft a few weeks ago and it hits me. It occurred to me that there is a complete incongruity (thank you word-a-day calendar) between hope and reality.

Don’t get me wrong, hope is very important. Hope, however, is not active. It doesn’t drive results. Do you think any of the draftees just sat on the bench hoping to play … hoping to be spotted … hoping to be picked? Of course not. They worked hard. They had a plan. They actively pursued their goal of playing football well.

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May 13, 2008

Cadillac badge, as big as a dinner plate

This pic of a Cadillac badge was taken while stopped in traffic, and it struck us that it has to be as big as a dinner plate, or at least big enough to prompt a rapper to think, "wow, that's kind of in poor taste."

Considering it's on the back of an Escalade, it might be that it's proportional to the side of a barn it's announcing, but the incremental creep of badge size is going a little too far -- and it's just not Caddy, have you seen the front badge on the new Mercedes C-Class? Even Poseidon wouldn't want to be caught dead carrying that trident around.

Henry Leland, Father of Cadillac and Lincoln

Investor's Business Daily has an interesting article about Henry Leland, a hard-working engineer who was involved in the early day of three iconic American car brands -- Oldsmobile, Cadillac and Lincoln.

Around the turn of the 20th century, the American auto industry was struggling to invent itself, and in the early days, most of the cars were miraculous for the fact that they ran at all, never mind for hundreds of thousands of miles.

Henry Leland was an engineer who pioneered the concept of identical mass production of parts, machined to exact tolerances, so that they could be switched in and out of models. His reputation landed him transmission and engine work at Oldsmobile, and that reputation got him the job of taking over the early Cadillac. Once he turned that brand around, the firm was sold to General Motors -- prompting Leland to go off on his own to found the Lincoln brand of cars, which was later sold to Ford.

May 12, 2008

2008 Fuel Economy Guide Available for Download

The EPA has issued a comprehensive PDF guide to fuel economy of all 2008 vehicles, which you can download by right-clicking here.

In today's gas market, buyers are more sensitive than ever about buying cars that get good mileage, and more important, they want the government ratings to be as accurate as possible -- nobody wants to buy a vehicle that gets 10% worse mileage in the real world than the sticker rating.

To address this situation, the EPA has started using an updated test to assign more accurate MPG ratings to new vehicles, and you can learn about that by watching the video in this post.

Study: Cadillac, Audi Most Imporved Luxury Marques

IRVINE, Calif. -- According to Kelley Blue Book Marketing Research's Brand Watch study, Cadillac and Audi are the most improved in terms of brand perception over the past year in the Luxury Sedan segment.

Cadillac improved most among the factors of driving comfort, exterior styling, interior layout/design, interior roominess and cargo/trunk space. Audi was deemed most improved when evaluating seating capacity, luxuriousness, available options and prestige brand.

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May 10, 2008

2009 Cadillac CTS-V breaks record on famed track

In testing this morning at Germany's Nurburgring, Cadillac's upcoming new 2009 CTS-V completed a lap of the legendary Nordschleife in 7:59.32. This blistering time appears to be the fastest ever publicly documented for a production sedan.

Cadillac is nearing the completion of testing of the highly anticipated CTS-V, the limited-edition high-performance model based on the award-winning CTS sport sedan.

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May 9, 2008

Tenacious D Goes Backstage for GM at Music Fests

DETROIT -- GMnext is going backstage at some of the world's biggest rock festivals this summer - providing music fans exclusive access through a series of video, photo and blog updates.

GMnext Plug In is a celebration of the 100+ year relationship between cars and music. From AM to FM, 8-track to cassette, compact disc to mp3, music is almost always a part of the driving experience.

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May 5, 2008

GM Rebates for May 2008

General Motors is offering a wide variety of rebate programs that cover Chevy, Cadillac, Buick, GMC, Hummer, Pontiac Saab and Saturn brands. Amounts range from $2,000 on the Chevy Silverado pickup to $3,000 on the Hummer H3 and $1,000 on the Pontiac Solstice. Low interest rate financing is available across all brand and model lines.

If you would like to research current auto rebates for all make and models for sale in the United States, check out CurrentAutoRebates.com, a fabulous service that allows you to check up on all rebate programs through a handy PDF report. The service is free and available now!

Cadillac Rebates for May 2008

Cadillac is offering 1.9% financing on the CTS model line, a $4,000 rebate or 2.9% financing on the DTS, a $1,000 rebate or 2.9% financing on the XLR and a $2,000 rebate or 2.9% APR on the Escalade SUV. Programs end 5/21/08.

May 2, 2008

GM Reports April Sales Down 16%

DETROIT - GM dealers in the United States delivered 260,922 vehicles in April. Retail car and crossover sales were up more than 9 percent.

A sharp sales increase in fuel efficient cars and crossovers could not make up for soft truck demand and a sharp decline in fleet deliveries impacted by the American Axle strike. On a non-adjusted basis, retail sales were down 11.5 percent and total sales for the month were down 16 percent.

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April 24, 2008

GM Invites Atlanta Auto Show Attendees to Test Drive Vehicles

Consumers attending the AJC International Auto Show Thursday -Sunday, April 24 - 27 will have a unique opportunity to truly 'experience' the GM display by getting behind the wheel and test driving many of General Motors' hottest new vehicles, including the newly redesigned 2008 Chevy Malibu, fuel efficient GMC Yukon Hybrid and all-new Pontiac G8.

Other vehicles available for test drives that illustrate the breadth of General Motors' 2008 product portfolio include: Buick Enclave, Buick Lucerne CXS, Cadillac CTS, Cadillac SRX, Cadillac Escalade and Cadillac DTS.

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Win a Cadillac CTS When You Buy Mom Flowers

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. -- FTD has chosen its most inspirational bouquets to send to your Mother on this special Mother's Day Anniversary. These specially designed FTD arrangements will express how much you care for your Mother and automatically enter her to win a brand new Cadillac CTS.

Starting April 28, when you purchase an eligible bouquet you enter your Mother to win a 2008 Cadillac CTS:

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April 23, 2008

GM Announces First Quarter Global Sales of More Than 2.25 Million

DETROIT - General Motors sold 2.25 million cars and trucks around the world in the first quarter of 2008, according to preliminary sales figures released today, with a record 64 percent of all sales occurring outside the United States.

GM global first quarter sales were down less than one percent. Robust first quarter sales in GM's Latin America, Africa and Middle East (GMLAAM) and Asia Pacific (GMAP) regions, and improved sales in the GM Europe (GME) region helped offset a 10 percent decline in GM North America (GMNA). Sales outside GMNA were up 8 percent compared with last year.

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GM statement on proposed 2011-2015 Fuel Economy Targets

"GM intends to meet the tough, new national CAFE standards of 35 mpg for cars and trucks combined by 2020, a dramatic increase of 40 percent."

NHTSA’s proposed rule lays out the first set of standards toward this target. GM will work with NHTSA throughout its rulemaking process on the yearly targets and the sensible mechanisms needed to meet this challenge.”

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April 18, 2008

First Cadillac CTS-V Sale Benefits Charity

NEW YORK – The eagerly anticipated 2009 CTS-V, Cadillac’s 550-hp expression of ultimate performance and luxury, hits the streets this coming fall.

However, the first sale occurred last night in New York City, where the first CTS-V earned a winning bid of $75,000 at a special charity auction benefiting the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

The auction was a major feature of “A Night to Remember,” a glittering evening of fine food, wine and cigars, hosted by Cigar Aficionado magazine and sponsored in part by Cadillac.

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April 16, 2008

GM nabs Nissan's McNabb, reorganizes retail roster

DETROIT – General Motors announced today that its U.S. marketing and field operations will be more strongly aligned into four retail channels: Chevrolet; Premium (Cadillac, Hummer, Saab); Buick-Pontiac-GMC; and Saturn. Each channel will be focused on continuing to deliver world-class products for their customer and build value for GM and their respective dealers.

GM announced the appointment of four new leadership positions to direct activities within this organization, effective June 1:

Continue reading "GM nabs Nissan's McNabb, reorganizes retail roster"

April 15, 2008

GM Reward Programs Expanded to Saturn Vehicles

DETROIT - Consumers who want to use their GM Card or GM Flexible Earnings Card toward the purchase of an eligible, new GM vehicle now have the option to purchase or lease a new Saturn under expanded program guidelines.

The GM Card and the GM Flexible Earnings Card allows Cardmembers to earn toward an eligible new GM vehicle with every credit card purchase. Effective April 15, 2008 Saturn vehicles will be added to the expanded program.

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April 11, 2008

LeaseTrader Releases Its Top-10 Index for March

MIAMI -- LeaseTrader.com, the company that helps consumers with car lease transfers, announces its monthly Index for March, with the BMW 3 Series again topping the list of America's most preferred leased vehicle.

The BMW 3 Series continues to top the LeaseTrader.com Index mostly because of its combination of performance, price and affordability.

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April 9, 2008

GM Europe sales reach all-time record

Zurich -- In the first quarter of 2008, General Motors (GM) Europe sales reached an all-time record of 572,137 vehicles*, an increase of 18,111 units compared to Q1 2007. The company market share was 9.6 percent.

“The Chevrolet brand’s strong growth – especially in Eastern and Central Europe – continued in the first quarter of 2008. As the new Aveo, Chevrolet’s European best-seller, is just being launched in many markets, we are confident to see this trend continue throughout the year,” said Jonathan Browning, GM Europe Vice President for Sales, Marketing and Aftersales.

Continue reading "GM Europe sales reach all-time record"

April 2, 2008

April Cadillac Rebates Available at CurrentAutoRebates.com

Cadillac is offering 1.9% financing on the CTS model line, a $3,000 rebate on the DTS and $2,000 or 2.9% financing on the Escalade SUV. Programs end 4/30/08.

April GM Rebates Available at CurrentAutoRebates.com

General Motors is offering a wide variety of rebate programs that cover Chevy, Cadillac, Buick, GMC, Hummer, Pontiac, Saab and Saturn brands.

Amounts range from $2,000 on the Chevy Silverado pickup to $3,000 on the Hummer H3 and 5.9% financing on the Buick Enclave SUV. Low interest rate financing is available across all brand and model lines. Programs end April 30, 2008.

GM launches new navigation service through OnStar

Dallas -- OnStar today announced the introduction of two new navigational services to complement and enhance its existing Turn-by-Turn service, the most widely available navigation system on the market. These features solidify GM's leadership in navigation with more vehicles on the road with embedded navigation systems and more options than any other automaker.

The first new service is OnStar Destination Download, which enables OnStar subscribers with screen-based navigation systems to quickly input their destination while on the go via the simple press of a button.

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XM NavTraffic Expands to 2009 GM Vehicles

DALLAS -- XM, the nation's leading provider of satellite radio, today announced at the 2008 Dallas Auto Show the continued expansion of its award-winning real-time XM NavTraffic service into 22 GM vehicles in the 2009 model year.

XM NavTraffic is already the traffic information standard on the highly- praised Cadillac CTS model. XM NavTraffic will expand across the GM vehicle lineup to provide real-time traffic intelligence to 22 navigation-equipped GM vehicles in the 2009 model year.

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April 1, 2008

GM Reports March Sales Down 13%

DETROIT – GM dealers in the United States delivered 282,732 vehicles in March, a decrease of 13 percent when compared with the same month a year ago.

For the first three months of 2008, GM total sales of 805,720 vehicles were down 11 percent compared with a year ago. Retail share appears to have remained stable throughout the month and the quarter.

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March 31, 2008

Video: AT GM, Quality Comes First

Quality Comes First: Getting The Message Across

General Motors is working to aggressively market the increased quality of the latest line of vehicles.

March 28, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS

This redesign of an already hot -- and hot-selling car -- is proving to be one of a strong of hits for General Motors, and the CTS sedan is helping lead Cadillac into yet another golden period.

The 2008 Cadillac CTS has two engine options available, a V6 that produces 252 horsepower, or a V8 that pumps out over 300 hp.

And yes, when we say the CTS at the NY Auto Show, it did turn us on.

March 10, 2008

General Motors Honors Top Dealers with Jack Smith Award

New York, NY - General Motors held its annual GM Dealer Of The Year award ceremony in New York City today to present the Jack Smith Leadership Award to its top 115 dealers.

Honorees were chosen from more than 6,700 GM dealers across the U.S., and exemplify the company's dedication to exceptional sales performance and superior customer service.

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March 9, 2008

March Cadillac Rebates Available at CurrentAutoRebates.com

Cadillac is offering 1.9% financing on the CTS model line, a $3,000 rebate on the DTS sedan and $2,000 on the Escalade SUV.

Programs end 3/31/08.

March GM Rebates Available at CurrentAutoRebates.com

General Motors is offering a wide variety of rebate programs that cover Chevy, Cadillac, Buick, GMC, Hummer, Pontiac Saab and Saturn brands. Amounts range from $2,000 on the Chevy Silverado pickup to $2,000 on the Hummer H3 and $3,500 on the Saab 9-3. Low interest rate financing is available across all brand and model lines. Programs end 3/31/08.

March 3, 2008

GM Sales Down 13% in February

DETROIT - GM dealers in the United States delivered 270,423 vehicles in February, a decrease of 13 percent compared with an unusually strong February last year.

"Our new launch vehicles, including the award-winning Chevrolet Malibu and Cadillac CTS, had a sensational month, as did the Chevrolet Cobalt, Saturn Aura, and the Pontiac G6," said Mark LaNeve, vice president, GM North America Vehicle Sales, Service and Marketing.

Continue reading "GM Sales Down 13% in February"

March 1, 2008

GM brings performance, style to NY Auto Show

NEW YORK -- General Motors’ global design talents come together as GM showcases several award-winning concept vehicles at the 2008 New York International Auto Show.

Headlining the event will be Pontiac with three world premiere vehicle introductions. Saab will also unveil an environmentally friendly compact sports luxury concept vehicle to North America.

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February 28, 2008

Vehicles from HBO’s “The Sopranos” to be auctioned

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Cars and SUVs driven by the famous TV mobsters on “The Sopranos” will be sold at No Reserve during the 6th Annual Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event on March 26-30, 2008, in West Palm Beach, Fla.

A total of eight vehicles from the award winning HBO series will cross the block, led by Tony Soprano’s 2003 Cadillac Escalade ESV, with net proceeds benefiting Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.

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February 16, 2008

Michael Madesen's Reservoir Dogs Cadillac Fails to Sell on eBay

Michael Madsen's star power was not enough to sell this vintage 1966 Cadillac DeVille, the vehicle used by his character Mr. Blonde in Reservoir Dogs.

Bidding ended last night at $12,600, which did not meet the reserve, so no sale.

We kind of find this hard to believe, as counting Mr. Madsen, the car's cinematic heritage and the Caddoo itself, it really hits the trifecta of celebrity car power. The actor was also throwing in a personal meet and greet with photos, a signed edition of R-Dogs and an autograph on teh car itself -- and no one was willing to bid more than 12.6?

After the jump, Mr. Madsen's description of the car and extras -- warning ALL CAPS ahead!

Continue reading "Michael Madesen's Reservoir Dogs Cadillac Fails to Sell on eBay"

February 13, 2008

GM's Lutz: January Results Demonstrate We Are on the Rise

By Bob Lutz, GM Vice Chairman

You’ve already heard about our financial results for 2007. Yes, we posted a sizable loss, but it was not a surprise. As Rick Wagoner noted this morning, almost all of that loss was attributed to a special charge in the third quarter.

Right now, though, I want to share some little-noticed facts about our January sales.

Continue reading "GM's Lutz: January Results Demonstrate We Are on the Rise"

February 11, 2008

Cadillac Pride on Display At Geneva Motor Show

GENEVA – Cadillac accelerates into 2008 with moves that advance the brand’s dramatic design and innovative performance technology.

At the Geneva Motor Show, Cadillac will present the CTS-V and Escalade Hybrid as well as the Provoq Concept and CTS Coupe Concept.

“These four vehicles powerfully showcase three critical elements of Cadillac vehicles -- dramatic design, great performance and advanced technology,” said Jim Taylor, Cadillac general manager.

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BMW 3 Series Tops January Lease Index

MIAMI -- LeaseTrader, the company that helps consumers with car lease transfers, announces its monthly Index for December, with the BMW 3 Series topping the list of America's most preferred leased vehicles for the third straight month.

The BMW 3 Series offers excellent luxury and space while delivering a quiet and comfortable driving experience. The car is among BMW's best all-time selling models because of its combination of power, agility, luxury and high performance.

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February 8, 2008

GM to Sell Used Vehicles on eBay Motors

DETROIT – GM Certified Used Vehicles, the industry’s top-selling manufacturer-certified used vehicle brand, announced it has reached an agreement to collaborate in a variety of areas with eBay Motors, the Internet's largest marketplace for buying and selling all things automotive, to support the 3,900-plus GM Certified Used Vehicles dealers in the U.S.

As a first step, GM Certified Used Vehicles commits to list their entire national inventory on eBay Motors at no cost to dealers.

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General Motors Launches Wiki-Style History Project

DETROIT - While many companies publish histories to commemorate special milestones, GM is putting a 21st Century, open-source twist on the way its history is told in cyberspace.

Beginning today, GM is inviting people worldwide to contribute to the Generations of GM Wiki on GMnext.com and share their personal, first-person experiences from the company's first 100 years - everything from a story about a summer job in an assembly plant to pictures of a first car to favorite experiences with GM products.

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February 5, 2008

Pink Cadillac Signed by Aretha Her Self to Be Auctioned

LOS ANGELES - When the auction gets underway at the 2008 MusiCares Person of the Year Gala during GRAMMY Week, one lucky bidder will be able climb behind the wheel of a one-of-a-kind Cadillac to drive down the "Freeway of Love" as stylishly as the "Queen of Soul" herself.

A Cadillac CTS - the 2008 Motor Trend Car of the Year - has been customized with a special pink hue and hand-signed by Aretha Franklin for live auction in Los Angeles on Feb. 8, 2008.

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Cadillac CTS Outscores Mercedes, BMW in Sports Sedan Test

YONKERS, N.Y. -- The redesigned 2008 Cadillac CTS beat out the BMW 328i and the redesigned Mercedes-Benz C300 in Consumer Reports' testing of upscale sports sedans for the March issue. BMW and Mercedes-Benz have long been considered by many Americans to set the standard in the sport-sedan category.

The CTS achieved an "Excellent" overall score, surpassing both the 328i and C300, which received "Very Good" overall scores. The CTS is also ranked above some previously-tested sports sedans including the Lexus IS250, the Acura TSX, and the Audi A4.

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February 3, 2008

Eli Manning Wins Cadillac Escalade Hybrid

Eli Manning, the Giants Quarterback won the MVP of the 42nd Super Bowl, and got the keys to a 2009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid.

Archie Manning, Eli's father, as well as that of Peyton Manning, last year's Super Bowl MVP, has reportedly signed a multi-million deal with an as yet to be named sperm bank.

February 2, 2008

Current Auto Rebates Has All the Updated Rebates!

With auto sales down 4.3% in January 2008, many automakers are increasing the rebate and incentive offers they have on the hoods of their vehicles.

Yet keeping track of all the rebate programs can be difficult work, which is why we began publishing Current Auto Rebates, the Internet's first document that lists every rebate program for every vehicle for same in the United States.

This 13-page PDF makes it easy for you to look up rebates on any model you're interested in, and even allows you to contact your local dealer who will give you a free price quote on the ride of your choice.

Since rebate programs can change several times per month, you may want to sign up for free updates to the publication -- when we update the document you'll get an email from us letting you know a refreshed version is available for you to download.

And if someone you know is currently shopping for a new vehicle, you may want to download a copy and email it to them -- they'll thank you for doing so!

February 1, 2008

General Motors Reports January Sales Up 2.1%

DETROIT - GM dealers in the United States delivered 252,565 vehicles in January, an increase of 2.1 percent compared with the same month last year. The company continued its efforts to focus on improved retail sales, showing an increase of more than 11 percent.

Very strong retail sales of 186,187 vehicles were driven by a more than 31-percent surge in retail car sales. GM retail share in the U.S. has remained essentially stable for the past two and one-half years. Total truck sales of 148,191 were up more than 3 percent compared with a year ago.

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January 30, 2008

GM to Showcase Vintage Vehicles at Syracuse Auto Show

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Visitors to the 100th Syracuse Auto Expo, which opens to the public Feb. 6, will get a special treat: a rare glimpse of five vintage General Motors vehicles - the earliest a 1908 Buick - in a display that celebrates the 100th anniversary of GM as well as the Expo.

The vehicle display comes to Syracuse's OnCenter and War Memorial from GM's Heritage Center in Sterling Heights, Mich., and was organized by Syracuse-area GM dealers. In addition to Buick, vintage vehicles representing GMC, Pontiac, Chevrolet and Cadillac will be together in the facility's ballroom, and each have a unique story behind them.

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GM Expands Multicultural Marketing Agency Roster

DETROIT -- General Motors Corp. is further broadening its multicultural marketing efforts and today announced that it will add Sanders\Wingo Advertising, Inc., to its list of advertising agencies to provide African American, urban and youth marketing support for Chevrolet, and Carol H. Williams Advertising to provide African American, urban and youth marketing support for Cadillac, HUMMER, Saab, Saturn and the GM Corporate brand, effective at the end of the first quarter of 2008.

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With Home Prices Dropping, Car Prices Are Sure to Follow

It's accepted wisdom now that overall auto sales will drop in 2008. This is seen as a function of the housing bust, during which as much as 20% of new car purchases were funded by residential real estate profit, home equity cashouts and the general euphoria in real estate related industries.

Now that home prices are dropping -- and will continue to do so until they fall in line with median income -- we believe the average new vehicle transaction price will drop as well. If houses can fall 10%-30% in value, why not cars?

In November we ran a story from Comerica Bank stating the average transaction price of a new vehicle was $29,024. Our projection is this number will fall below $25,000, perhaps in 2009 if not this year, for several reasons:

1. Less money to spend. The option of taking cash out of a home to finance a new purchase is gone. The psychology of spending "free money" to buy a luxe ride will give way to folks actually having to make the payment out of their own pocket. And with many people paying even more for housing due to adjustable rates, they will choose cheaper rides.

2. Gas prices. While $3 a gallon gas isn't as draconian as five bucks, it will have an effect over time. People are already choosing more efficient crossovers and smaller SUVs over the big buses, and V8s are going out of favor. Look for more people to choose V6s in cars and for four-cylinders to pick up in popularity.

3. Negative equity. A greater percentage of folks are upside down in their cars, and have been rolling their balances into new loan agreements. To catch up, their new purchases will have to be cheaper and it's going to take years to eat away at the balance.

4. New frugality. In a tough economy, the value of money becomes more dear. People will start thinking twice about how much money they spend. They will choose cheaper cars, perhaps with more options, but the luxe-marques are in for a rough ride.

5. New wage structures. The Detroit car companies have made big headlines with their new labor deals, that allow them to replace higher paid union workers with new hires at a lower wage scale. The higher wages translated into higher sticker prices; the lower wages will allow for slimmer price hikes and even reductions.

6. Battle for fewer consumers. Don't let the tough talk fool you. As fewer cars are sold throughout 2008, the rebate war will kick into full swing -- and spiffs will help bring down the average transaction price.

This last reason is why we launched Current Auto Rebates, a site that publishes all the rebates for every model in a single PDF file, to make bargain hunting that much easier.

January 29, 2008

GM Forms Engineering Group for Hybrids, Electric Vehicles and Batteries

WARREN, Mich. - In another step aimed at bringing the electrification of vehicles into the mainstream development process more quickly, General Motors has formed a new engineering organization especially dedicated to implementing hybrid and extended- range electric vehicles (E-REV) and advanced battery technology.

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January 25, 2008

2008 Cadillac XLR Rebates Available at Current Auto Rebates.com

The 2008 Cadillac XLR has 2.9% financing available; program ends 3/3/08. The 2008 Cadillac XLR base price -- $78,760.

Click here to get your free 2008 Cadillac XLR price quote!