General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world's largest vehicle manufacturer, employs 349,000 people globally in its core automotive business and subsidiaries. Founded in 1908, GM has been the global automotive sales leader since 1931. GM today has manufacturing operations in 32 countries and its vehicles are sold in more than 190 countries. In 2002, GM sold more than 8.5 million cars and trucks, nearly 15 percent of the global vehicle market. GM's global headquarters is at the GM Renaissance Center in Detroit.

GM Reports 2006 Financial Results 
Record revenue of $207 billion in 2006 
2006 adjusted net income of $2.2 billion – improvement of $5.4 billion 
2006 reported net loss of $2.0 billion – improvement of $8.4 billion 
Positive fourth quarter net income and operating cash flow 
Year-end cash balance of $26.4 billion 
DETROIT – General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM) today posted net income for 2006, excluding special items, of $2.2 billion, or $3.88 per share fully diluted, compared with a net loss of $3.2 billion, or $5.67 per share, in 2005, marking a $5.4 billion improvement. Including special items, GM had a net loss of $2.0 billion, or $3.50 per share for 2006, compared with a net loss of $10.4 billion, or $18.42 per share in the year-ago period. GM earned record revenue of $207 billion in 2006, compared with $195 billion in 2005. 

“We needed 2006 to be a big year, and it was,” GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner said. “Our performance last year reflects the significant progress we’ve made toward transforming GM into a more competitive, global business focused on long-term, sustainable success. The improvement is a credit to our employees, union partners, dealers and suppliers worldwide. It’s also validation that our strategy is working, and faster than many people thought possible. 

“But nobody at GM is declaring victory, because we all know there is still a lot more work to do to achieve our goals of steady growth, solid profitability and positive cash flow generation. We’re confident that the momentum we generated in 2006 will continue to build through this year and beyond,” Wagoner added. 

GM’s net income in the fourth quarter 2006 was $180 million, or $.32 per diluted share, excluding special items. These results compare to a net loss of $936 million, or $1.66 per share in the year ago period. Including the net favorable effect of all special items, GM’s net income was $950 million, or $1.68 per diluted share in the fourth quarter of 2006, compared with a loss of $6.6 billion, or $11.63 per share in the fourth quarter of 2005. GM had revenue of $51.2 billion in the fourth quarter 2006, compared with $51.7 billion in the same period a year ago, with the decline more than accounted for by the exclusion of GMAC revenue starting December 1, 2006 , which is explained in greater detail in the “GMAC” section of the press release.

The reported results for the fourth quarter 2006 include special items totaling $770 million after tax, or $1.36 per diluted share. These are primarily attributable to gains related to GMAC transaction-related items and the sale of the GM desert proving ground property, partially offset by costs related to previously announced GM restructuring items. Additional details on these special items are included in the “Highlights” section of the press release. 

GM Automotive Operations 

Net income from global automotive operations for 2006 improved by more than $5.7 billion, totaling $422 million on an adjusted basis, excluding special items (reported net loss of $3.2 billion). Adjusted net income for GM’s automotive operations in the fourth quarter 2006 was $228 million (reported net income of $194 million), compared with an adjusted loss of $1.2 billion in the year-ago period. 

GM sold 9.1 million vehicles worldwide in 2006. For the second consecutive year, unit sales outside of the U.S. surpassed domestic sales with almost 5 million units, or 55 percent of global volume. GM Europe (GME), GM Asia Pacific (GMAP), and GM Latin America, Africa and the Middle East (GM LAAM) all set regional sales records, with GME exceeding 2 million units, GMAP topping 1.25 million units, and LAAM surpassing 1 million units for the first time. 

GM North America (GMNA) posted a $5 billion earnings improvement in 2006, with an adjusted net loss of $779 million (reported net loss of $4.6 billion). In the fourth quarter of 2006, GMNA recorded its fourth consecutive quarter of more than $1 billion improvement in adjusted earnings. GMNA had an adjusted net loss of $14 million in the fourth quarter 2006 (reported net income of $50 million), versus an adjusted loss of $1.4 billion in the same quarter 2005. The calendar year improvement was realized despite a 207,000 unit reduction in GMNA production to balance inventory with deliveries, and reflects continued significant reductions in structural costs related to health care, manufacturing and workforce attrition, as well as positive sales mix and the impact of the company’s product and value focused sales and marketing strategy. 

GM reduced structural costs in North America by $6.8 billion in 2006, exceeding its target of $6 billion, and remains on-track to deliver the previously announced $9 billion of annual structural cost savings in 2007(versus 2005 structural cost levels). GM’s progress in globalizing its product development, powertrain and manufacturing operations, combined with aggressive GMNA turnaround actions, are driving these significant structural cost reductions. GM reduced its global automotive structural cost from over 34 percent of revenue in 2005 to 30 percent of revenue in 2006, an impressive first step toward GM’s goal of cutting structural cost to 25 percent of revenue by 2010. 
“We made very significant progress in 2006 toward our 25 percent structural cost goal,” Wagoner said. “At the same time, we continue to invest heavily in future products, technology and growth markets. GM plans to increase its global capital spending from $7.5 billion in 2006, to between $8.5 and $9 billion in 2007 and 2008.” 
GM’s commitment to quality and design leadership was reinforced in 2006 with strong consumer and media reception to GM’s newest cars and trucks, including the Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Cadillac Escalade full-size utilities; GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado full-size pickups; the Saturn Aura midsize sedan; Opel Corsa small car; and the Holden Commodore fullsize sedan. In addition, early public reaction to the Saturn Outlook and GMC Acadia midsize crossovers, introduced late in 2006, has been positive. 
GME posted its first full year of profitability since 1999 with adjusted earnings of $227 million for 2006 (reported net loss of $225 million). GME had an adjusted loss of $8 million in the fourth quarter 2006 (reported net loss of $119 million), compared to net income of $5 million in the year-ago quarter. GME revenue in the fourth quarter 2006 was $9 billion, up from $8.1 billion in the same quarter 2005. Contributing to GME’s improved performance during the year was strong revenue growth due to record volume of over 2 million units, and continued structural cost reductions. 

“The actions we’ve taken in Europe to reduce structural cost and re-energize our product lineup is making a big impact on the business,” Wagoner noted. “And our multi-brand approach in Europe is really getting traction. The Opel/Vauxhall brands are strengthening, led by products like the all-new Corsa and segment-leading Meriva and Zafira. And, the Chevrolet brand again achieved record sales, while Saab and Cadillac also demonstrated strong growth. And we’re especially pleased with our progress in Russia , where GM sales grew 73 percent in 2006.” 
GMAP delivered adjusted earnings of $441 million in 2006 (reported net income of $1.2 billion), compared with $557 million in 2005, with the decline totally attributable to the loss of Suzuki equity income in 2006, as a result of the divestiture of most of GM’s holdings in Suzuki Motor Corp. For the fourth quarter of 2006, GMAP’s adjusted earnings were $122 million (reported net income of $135 million) , consistent with the same quarter 2005 earnings of $124 million. Record 2006 sales of GM Daewoo products contributed to GM’s continued strong performance in the region, headlined by sales gains of 32 percent in China and 19 percent in Korea. 

“The AP region remains the core of GM’s global growth strategy. In 2006, GM advanced its leading position in China , again improving its market share to almost 12 percent. We also announced plans to add a new assembly plant in India to take advantage of opportunities in that important market, and we continue to grow in Korea ,” Wagoner said. 
GM’s LAAM region delivered its best financial performance in 10 years with adjusted earnings of $533 million in 2006 (reported net income of $490 million), an improvement of $381 million over 2005. GMLAAM also recorded adjusted and reported fourth quarter earnings of $128 million, up from adjusted earnings of $63 million in the same quarter of 2005. These improvements were driven by record revenue and volume for the region, and significant gains at GM do Brasil. 

“By cost-effectively leveraging GM’s products and resources from around the world, GM LAAM has been able to take advantage of growth opportunities throughout the region, achieving milestone sales of over 1 million units and impressive revenue and profit results,” Wagoner said.

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