Volvo Caps 2000 With Sales Records
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ROCKLEIGH, N.J. - Volvo Cars of North America, Inc. closed the book on the 2000 calendar year with new sales records for the U.S. and North America, the company announced today.

Car sales of 123,178 units helped establish a new record for the company in the U.S., besting the previous record of 116,692, set last year. The final tally for 2000 represented a 5.6 per cent increase over the 1999 total.

Across North America, the company posted a year-end total of 131,836 cars, a new sales record and a 5.3 per cent improvement over the 125,218 sales of 1999.

"We will look back on 2000 as a turning point," said Mark LaNeve, President and Chief Executive of Volvo Cars of North America. "The establishment of a new sales record was an important achievement, but far from our only success. The launch of the sporty S60, and the immediate popularity of this car, signals that the complete renewal of our product line is just what the market wants from Volvo. With the strength of S60, the compact S40 sedan and the runaway demand for the new Cross Country, we have a firm foundation for growth. Sales of the Cross Country were up nearly ten percent in 2000 with sales of 15,506 in '00 vs. 14,108 in '99. Everyone in VCNA, and all of our retailer partners, have reason to be proud," said LaNeve.

December sales were muffled by the snow storms that affected the central and eastern portions of the country as well as the slowdown felt in the economy in the last quarter.

(Jan. 2, 2001)