As European Sales Slow, Chevy Pulls Out Of WTCC

Back in the heyday of automotive racing in the U.S., the old saying was “Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday.” Victory at the track once guaranteed higher sales at the dealership, however, these days not so much. Racing just doesn’t have the same pull it used to, and Europe’s financial troubles are hitting the auto market particularly hard.

GM had hoped to raise Chevrolet’s profile with younger buyers by entering the new Cruze into the World Touring Car Championship. Yet despite two driver and manufacturers championship, and over 59 combined victories, the racing team will be without a sponsor, reports Autoevolution. After this season, Chevrolet is out of the WTCC.

In fact, since introducing the Cruze as a competitor for the 2010 season, Chevrolet and its drivers have won both the 2010 and 2011 championships. That is great press for the car and the brand…yet victory has not translated into sales. The main culprit is no doubt the crumbling European economy, though GM has other troubles with its Opel brand proving a huge fiscal loss year after year.

Despite being well-recieved by the automotive media, the Cruze has not been a great seller in Europe. In America, it’s another story, but most Americans couldn’t even tell you what the WTCC acronym stands for (Is that a news station?). Perhaps it is for the best then that Chevy pulls out of the WTCC, and refocus its efforts on other motorsports, like the 24 Hours of Le Mans, that get a lion’s share of the attention.