GM to give away 1,000 cars in largest-ever sales promotion

To win one of 54 different GM vehicles, consumers must visit one of 7,000 GM dealerships before February 29, sit in a designated car or truck and push the OnStar ‘‘Hot Button.’’

An OnStar operator from one of four dispatch centers set up around the United States for the contest will immediately tell consumers if they are a winner of a GM vehicle, which includes cars or trucks from the Chevrolet, Hummer, Saab, Cadillac, Pontiac, Buick, Saturn and GMC brands.

‘‘The idea really is to try to get people into the showroom, in an innovative way, at a time of the year which is otherwise pretty slow,’’ GM chairman and chief executive officer Rick Wagoner said at the Detroit auto show. The $50 million promotion, which includes about $25 million in vehicle prizes, is intended to help boost consumer visits to dealerships by 30 per cent to 40 per cent in January and February, which is traditionally a slow period for the industry, said Steve Hill, director of GM retail planning and the GM brand.

GM hopes the programme will boost sales above the slow start to the year in 2003, Wagoner said. GM expects 5.5 million US consumers will push the ‘‘Hot Button,’’ making the chances of winning about one in 5,500, Hill said.

In addition to offering high cash incentives and interest-free loans, GM has rolled out over the past year marketing programmes aimed at getting consumers to take a second look at its cars and trucks.

GM has extended until mid-March its 24-hour test drive programme, which allows consumers to take home a GM vehicle overnight.