GM's Cadillac, Corvette Had Tough Year in U.K.

GM's Cadillac, Corvette Had Tough Year in U.K.

If sales in the United Kingdom are anything to judge by (and we're not saying they necessarily are), it's a good thing General Motors Co. hung on to its Opel and Vauxhall European brands.

The U.K.'s top sellers for 2009 recently were presented by the country's Car auto-enthusiasts magazine, and Opel's Corsa was the country's No. 3 seller (84,478 units) and the Opel Astra followed at No. 4 with 67,729 sales. The Opel Insignia pulled in to be the U.K.'s ninth best-selling car, with 36,040 finding customers. 

GM's winners for the year serve as almost comic contrast for its losers, then: Cadillac and Corvette.

Yes, we know GM has dialed back its interest in exports and the company's struggled for some time with its distribution and retail strategy in Europe, anyway. But for all of 2009, Cadillac sold 177 vehicles in the U.K. And just 36 Britons parked a Corvette in their drive.

For a little added perspective, Ferrari sold 452 cars in the U.K. last year, Maserati moved 408. - Bill Visnic, Senior Editor

Photo by GM

Opel Insignia

Michelle Krebs:  is Editor-in-Chief of AutoObserver.com. Follow @AutoObserver on Twitter.