25.5.2005
GM-AVTOVAZ builds 100,000th Chevrolet

GM-AVTOVAZ today celebrated the production of the 100,000th car, a Chevrolet Viva, built at its manufacturing plant in Togliatti, Russia.

GM-AVTOVAZ began building the Chevrolet Niva SUV in September 2002, adding the Viva sedan in late 2004. In 2004, Chevrolet was the leading foreign brand in Russia with sales totaling more than 60,000 (including imported vehicles).

"Achieving so much in such a short time is a great credit to the people working at our joint venture here in Togliatti", said Richard Swando, Managing Director of GM-AVTOVAZ. "We have a strong Russian team supported by only a few foreign experts. Together with our dealers they have every reason to be proud."

Sales have continued at a high level in 2005 with more than 18,000 Chevrolet cars built by GM-AVTOVAZ registered in the first four months of the year. In total, Chevrolet sales in Russia in the first four months of 2005 were up 34%, at 21,500 after reaching 16,000 units in the same period of 2004.

GM-AVTOVAZ, established by General Motors, AVTOVAZ and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in 2001, was the first major international joint venture in the history of the Russian automotive industry. AVTOVAZ is the biggest Russian car manufacturer and General Motors the world's largest automaker with worldwide sales of close to 9 million vehicles last year. The manufacturing plant in Togliatti was built in only 13 months.

Chevrolet Niva and Chevrolet Viva cars are sold via a retail network consisting of 98 operational dealers in 65 regions of Russia from Kaliningrad in the West to Sakhalin in the East and from Murmansk in the North to Astrakhan in the South, as well as in eight CIS countries. The network is expected to grow to over 116 outlets by the end of the year.

Russia is one of very few countries in the world with vehicle sales exceeding one million units annually. With a total investment of $338 million, the Joint Venture between GM, AVTOVAZ and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development represents one of the largest foreign investments in the automotive industry of Russia.