Chevrolet six-month global sales highest in a century

Chevrolet saw 2.35 million global sales in the first six months of 2011--its best first-half mark in 100 years.

The automaker credits the success of new small-car models for much of the growth, namely the Cruze compact, the Spark minicar, the Aveo/Sonic small car and the Orlando MPV.

Chevrolet sales increased 14 percent in the United States from the same half-year period in 2010, with 286,499 more units sold.

Its biggest seller--the Cruze--is in heaviest demand in the Chinese and American markets. Chevy sold 132 percent more Cruzes (330,000 units total) worldwide in the first six months of this year than during the same period in 2010.

So far this year in the company's top five markets--the United States, Brazil, China, Russia and Canada--Chevy has seen 16 percent, 0.4 percent, 15 percent, 54 percent and 8 percent sales increases, respectively.

Meanwhile, Spark minicars have been in high demand in South Korea, Mexico and Uzbekistan. About 220,000 Sparks have sold worldwide since the car's December 2009 release, and more than 100,000 of those sales were in the first half of this year.

By Michelle Koueiter