Mid-Month Domestic Car Sales Up 6.7%

New domestic auto sales rose 6.7% in mid-September compared to the same period a year ago, the seven domestic auto manufacturers reported Friday.

Industry experts said, however, that there was no clear sales trend emerging. Sales reports were skewed, they said, because a number of new 1989 models were being introduced during the period and because dealers were seeking to clear out unsold 1988 cars.

Some analysts speculated that sales may have been up because consumers are taking advantage of the final days of incentive programs offered by the Big Three auto makers.

Interest in Incentives

“Car sales are flaky and tough to analyze at this time of the year because of the new model introductions and fire sales,” said David Healy, an auto analyst with Drexel Burnham Lambert.

Thomas O’Grady, an analyst with Integrated Automotive Resources, a research firm in Wayne Pa., agreed that the latest rise in sales is a reflection of buyer interest in incentive programs. “This is fairly common,” O’Grady said. “It’s the last 10 days of the incentive programs. People are buying before (the incentive programs) turn off.”

AUTO SALES

Sep. 11-20 % 1988 change GM 85,354 +7.1 Ford 48,840 +3.4 Chrysler 24,472 +12.7 Honda U.S. 5,956 +7.3 VW U.S. 1,281 -- Nissan U.S. 3,890 +17.4 Toyota U.S. 1,536 +4.1 Mazda U.S. 940 -- TOTAL 170,988 +6.7

There were 8 selling day in the selling period this year and last year.