General Motors has been making automobiles powered by well-oiled machines for more than a century. Last month, the brands under that corporate umbrella operated in a similar manner to those engines and drove GM to hit its best January sales figures, 203,745 vehicles, in eight years.
Not only were GM’s retail sales up nine percent year-over-year last month, but its average transaction prices (ATPs) jumped to $33,600, roughly $3,000 more than the industry average. In terms of particular brands, Cadillac is enjoying its highest ATPs ever.
Cadillac’s high-end corporate cousin, GMC, did well moving its pickups. According to GM, “Combined Sierra and Canyon total sales increased, with Sierra up 14 percent and Canyon up 3 percent.”
Buick dealers performed even better selling crossovers; sales of those were up a combined 24 percent last month. Retail deliveries of all Buick vehicles increased by a whopping 45 percent, giving the brand its best January retail numbers in 13 years.
Chevrolet hasn’t sold as many retail passenger cars in the month of January as it did last month since – get this – 1997. Both truck and crossover sales jumped up by 5 percent. Total January retail figures for the manufacturer were the best they’ve been since 2005.
Perhaps even better than all of that great news is the fact that GM anticipates only 20 percent of its 2016 sales will be to fleets – a decrease compared to its historical range of 22-24 percent.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
