GM’s first quarter was impacted by the effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

In total, GM’s vehicle sales declined by about 7%. However, the Silverado and Sierra were up across the board. We suspect that inventory and the timing of the new generation last year had a lot to do with that.

To keep the product it has already built flowing, GM credited dealers with adapting to the new social distancing mandates. “In this uncertain and challenging time, GM and our strong network of dealers are here to help, offering concierge service, providing courtesy transportation to customers in need and offering home delivery where permissible,” said Kurt McNeil, U.S. vice president, Sales Operations.

For the most part, automotive retail is considered an essential business where local governments have ordered other industries to close up. GM says that safety remains the company’s top priority. “Customers who need to purchase a new vehicle can use GM’s Shop. Click. Drive. program, which allows them to browse inventory, choose a vehicle, customize their payment and schedule delivery at home where available,” said McNeil.

GM’s brand that relies most heavily on imports, Buick, saw the biggest sales decline of about 35%. Chevy, by comparison, saw a less than 4% decline in sales in Q1.

The Silverado Light Duty trucks increased in sales by 34% to over 112K units in Q1. The Sierra LD trucks were up by 27% to just under 40K units delivered.