Holden Special Vehicles sales soar 67% in Q1

[Darren]

Australia's performance car leader Holden Special Vehicles today announced an exceptional start to 2010, reporting an increase in retail sales of 67% on the 1st quarter compared with 2009.

General Manager of Sales Darren Bowler said, 'This is a great start to the year for HSV and our dealer network, and while the result is partly influenced by our launch strategies, we do anticipate a continuation of product demand and we are in fact forecasting a 20% year on year sales increase'.

The sales result has been punctuated by demand for the new GTS model, and what is anticipated to be a best ever year for HSV's performance ute nameplate, Maloo.

General Manager of Marketing Tim Jackson said, 'At the launch of E2 the strategy was to lift GTS back to its hero status, and the exciting thing is we have seen demand outstrip supply. The differentiation we have given GTS has really struck a chord with our customer base.'

Darren Bowler added, 'While GTS has been a real stand out for us, the introduction of Maloo GXP into the range has us expecting a record year for the Maloo nameplate, exceeding 2009 by over 40%'.

ClubSport R8 remains the volume seller within the HSV range representing 35% of sales and recorded a 70% increase in Q1 sales (2009 vs 2010).

Tim Jackson commented, 'These three nameplates really represent the core of our business and the core of our brand. It is great to see the demand that exists for our product, and the opportunities that continued innovation provide us as we move into the future'.

[davey g-force]

Good news for HSV.

Probably be a tad misleading though - 2009 sales were down from memory, so a 67% increase above 2009 sales does not necessarily represent an overall increase of 67%.