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Sales of Cobalts zoom in last days
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Lordstown GM employees walk the last Cobalt down the conveyor belt on, Wednesday, June 23, 2010.
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By GRACE WYLER
New models of the Lordstown-built Chevrolet Cobalt have become scarce, as buyers snatch up the remaining cars.
General Motors has only about 13,000 Cobalts left in stock, just six weeks after the final car rolled off the line.
The remaining Cobalts likely will be sold within the next 60 days, said GM spokesman Brian Brown, putting inventory levels a month ahead of the company’s initial estimates, he said.
“Cobalt sales have been stronger than anticipated,” Brown said. “A lot of people are moving down from larger vehicles to more affordable cars, and better fuel economy.”
So far this year, 26,622 Cobalts have been sold, up 39 percent from the same period in 2009.
Sales have been helped by GM’s $3,000 rebate, used to ensure that the Cobalt is phased out of showrooms for the arrival of the Chevrolet Cruze in September. Production on the Cruze began at Lordstown on July 12.
Due to the limited supply, Cobalts are “kind of like gold,” said Bill Rutledge, sales manager at Diane Sauer Chevrolet in Warren. The dealership has only two Cobalts left, he said.
The Cobalt always has been a popular car in the area, but the recent incentives have made it hard to keep cars on the lot, said Barry Gonis, general manager of Spitzer Chevrolet in North Jackson. The dealership sold three Cobalts on Wednesday alone.