Chrysler, GM Earnings Down

Chrysler’s earnings for the second quarter of this year fell 22% from the same period a year ago, while General Motors Corp.’s quarterly earnings were down 19%, the auto makers said today.

Chrysler, the nation’s No. 3 auto maker, said its second-quarter earnings dropped from $596 million last year to $488 million for the period this year. GM, the nation’s largest, earned $978 million for the quarter ended June 30, compared with earnings of $1.2 billion for the second quarter of 1985.