Turns out General Motors policies for going leaner and more efficient, which of course resulted in death of some fine brands such as Pontiac, has worked out as planned and they’re on the rise. In 2010 Chevrolet alone sold more than 4.26 million vehicles globally, which means they sold a car every 7.4 seconds!

As a result, Chevrolet’s share of global vehicle industry sales grew by 0.35 points as the brand accounted for about 5.8 percent of all vehicles sold worldwide in 2010. Of the top five global vehicle brands, only Chevrolet grew its total market share last year. And as the graph below shows, two of the most successful nameplates were the new gen Silverado pickup truck which is hugely popular in the US, and the Cruze sedan, which has a good market in Europe and Asia as well.

Building on its strong global sales performance in the first three quarters of 2010, Chevrolet sold more than 1.14 million vehicles in the fourth quarter:

• In October, customers purchased 361,236 Chevrolet cars, crossovers and trucks worldwide, an increase of 16 percent on an annual basis.
• November topped that performance with 368,103 vehicles sold, up 27.1 percent over November 2009, making it the best November ever for Chevrolet globally.
• December concluded the year with 416,826 global sales, marking the 15th consecutive monthly increase and best December ever for Chevrolet.

“Chevrolet’s dedication to compelling designs, quality, durability and great value is a winning formula that resonates with consumers around the world,” said Joel Ewanick, GM global chief marketing officer. “We will continue to listen to our customers and do our utmost to deliver what it takes to bring them into the Chevrolet family.”

Increased sales performance in key growth markets

Major contributors to Chevrolet’s strong sales performance in 2010 were the BRIC countries of Brazil, Russia, India and China. They were responsible for about 33 percent of the brand’s sales, an increase of 2 percentage points over 2009. Chevrolet’s combined strength in these strategically important growth markets is unmatched by any competitor.

• In Brazil, Chevrolet set an all-time record of 657,724 vehicles sold in 2010. Chevrolet has enjoyed year-over-year sales increases in Brazil for five consecutive years. With about 365,267 sales just five years ago, the bow tie brand grew an impressive 80 percent.

• In Russia, 116,233 Chevrolets were sold, up from 104,398 vehicles in 2009. Chevrolet remained the most popular global brand and the Chevrolet Niva one of the most popular products from a global manufacturer sold in Russia.

• In India, Chevrolet sales surpassed 100,000 units for the first time. Sales for the year reached 110,350 vehicles, up 60 percent from the previous year. The milestone was achieved primarily by the positive customer response to the Beat and Spark mini-cars and Cruze compact car.

• In China, Chevrolet experienced unprecedented sales growth of 63 percent in 2010 to 543,700 vehicles. Leading the way was the Cruze, with sales of nearly 190,000 vehicles. Demand was also strong for the New Sail small family car, which generated sales of more than 125,000 vehicles following its introduction in January.

The potential for Chevrolet’s continued growth is demonstrated by the fact that eight of the brand’s top 10-selling countries in 2010 were emerging markets – Brazil, China, Uzbekistan, Mexico, Russia, India, Argentina and Colombia. With the United States and Canada, these 10 countries accounted for 85 percent of all Chevrolet sales.

In Europe, Chevrolet increased its share in 21 countries, resulting in a best-ever overall market share of 2.5 percent for the bow tie brand. Chevrolet sold more than 477,000 vehicles in 2010, an improvement of 12 percent over 2009.

In the United States, Chevrolet’s largest market, the brand represented more than 70 percent of GM’s overall sales. In 2010, Chevrolet sales in the U.S. grew 16 percent, to 1.57 million vehicles.