GM Sales Rise 11% in May, Volt Up 249%

DETROIT (TheStreet) -- GM (GM) said May sales rose 11% to their highest monthly total in nearly three years.

The largest U.S. automaker said it sold 246,479 vehicles in May, with retail sales up 14%, Chevrolet sales up 10% and Buick and GMC sales both up 19%. Cadillac sales fell 15% to 9,871 units, as six of seven available Cadillac vehicles showed sales declines, but retail sales of the top three Cadillac vehicles were up 6%. Sales of the Buick Enclave, however, rose 55% to 6,709 units.

At Chevrolet, Volt sales rose 249% to 1,680: A year earlier, GM reduced Volt production as it reconfigured the plant. May sales of the Silverado, the best-selling Chevrolet vehicle, rose 22% to 34,555. But Cruze sales fell 14% to 19,613 as Japanese automakers were back in the market in force in May. Toyota (TM) said its sales rose 87% in May.

"GM's sales in May were the highest in almost three years and we are poised to keep delivering good news for the U.S. economy with one of the most aggressive new product offenses in our history," said Don Johnson, vice president, U.S. Sales Operations, in a prepared statement.

"About 70 percent of our nameplates will be new or freshened over the course of 2012 and 2013 and that positions us very well as the industry and GM start to approach pre-recession sales levels," Johnson said.

-- Written by Ted Reed in Charlotte, N.C.

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