Domestic Auto Sales Up 25%

Led by a huge jump in industry-leader General Motors Corp.’s sales, auto makers sold 25% more domestic cars and light trucks in late February than a year ago, car companies reported today.

GM said its sales during the last third of February were the highest for the period since late February, 1972. GM car sales were up 33.4% from a year ago, and sales of light trucks rose 46.2%. Ford’s car sales rose 18.7% and its truck sales were up 10.8%. No. 3 Chrysler Corp.’s car sales rose 18.8% and its truck sales 21.6%. Car sales increased from late February, 1987, for all domestic makers except Nissan Motor Corp., whose sales plunged 44.2%.