TORONTO - General Motors of Canada says its April sales were hindered by the performance of some of the brands it is working to unload, falling 21 per cent and bucking a trend toward growth in the auto industry.
The automaker, which was nearly felled last year by the impact of the recession, reported Monday that excluding brands the company is phasing out or selling, Canadian sales actually improved.
The once-prolific automaker has scaled back to produce just four core brands as part of its restructuring plan: Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac and GMC. The company is either selling or winding down its other iconic brands, including Pontiac, Saturn, Hummer and Saab.
Sales of GM's core brands increased 4.9 per cent for the month and were up over 25 per cent for the year --and were more consistent with last month's industry trend toward growth.
"Our April sales results show continued progress towards our growth plan, as this is the fifth consecutive month we've increased retail sales of our core brands," said GM vice-president of sales and marketing Marc Comeau.
Chrysler Canada reported a 35 per cent jump in sales last month and Ford Canada saw its sales rise 24.5 per cent compared with last year.
The strong results continue a months-long trend of growth, suggesting the industry is on the road to recovery, as consumer confidence builds and customers begin shopping for new cars again.
Chrysler Canada said its soaring April sales are evidence the automaker is rebounding from the depths of last year's downturn, when it filed for bankruptcy and was forced to restructure using government bailout money.
"No question 2009 was a difficult year for Detroit -- heck, even the Red Wings (NHL hockey team) struggled -- but this year is different," Reid Bigland, president and CEO of Chrysler Canada, said in a statement Monday.
Chrysler Canada said its April sales jumped 35 per cent to 20,630 vehicles, up from 15,311 in the same month last year and the highest level since June 2008.
"On top of a Chrysler Group LLC US$143-million operating profit in the first quarter, April was our fifth consecutive month of retail sales growth in excess of 20 per cent, and it feels good," Bigland said.
So far this year, its sales have risen 21 per cent compared with the January-April period last year.
Three Chrysler vehicles, the Ram pickup, the Dodge Grand Caravan and the Dodge Challenger, set all time sales records last month, the company said.
Chrysler Canada said its Windsor, Ont., minivan assembly plant continues to operate on three shifts to meet strong demand. Meanwhile, the company expects even stronger results in May, which is typically the highest vehicle sales month of the year.
Ford Motor Company of Canada, Ltd. -- the only one of the so-called Detroit Three to avoid filing for bankruptcy protection and a government bailout last year -- said it sold 23,441 vehicles in April, compared with 18,828 in April 2009. Truck sales were up 27.5 per cent and car sales rose by about 14.4 per cent.
Ford said strong sales were led by the Ford Taurus, which jumped 403 per cent, followed by the Fusion and Edge models.
Ford sales so far in 2010 are 27.7 per cent higher than the January-April period last year.
Hyundai said it sold a record-breaking 12,495 vehicles in April, up 15.6 per cent from the same month last year and shattering the company's previous record of 11,200 units sold in May 2009.
Hyundai says sales so far this year are 22.3 per cent ahead of last year's record pace.
Hyundai Auto Canada, established in 1983 and headquartered in Markham, Ont., is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company of Korea.
