Car, Truck Sales Plunge: Car and truck...

Car, Truck Sales Plunge: Car and truck sales tumbled 21% in the last 10 selling days of August, the nation’s auto makers reported. They attributed the decline more to a weak economy than higher gasoline prices stemming from Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. The 10 major car and truck makers in the United States said they sold vehicles at an average daily rate of 38,943, compared to 49,276 during the same period last year, when incentives lured buyers to showrooms. Car sales during the Aug. 21-31 period dropped 18.8% and truck sales were off 24.9%. Sales of cars made by General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Corp. were down 27% during the period while sales of cars made by Japanese companies in North America rose 26.5%. For the entire month, with import sales included, combined car and truck sales in the United States fell 17% from last August.

VEHICLE SALES

Aug. 21-31 % change 1990 year to year GM* 160,336 -22.5 Ford* 109,507 -28.7 Chrysler* 50,621 -31.0 Honda U.S. 25,224 +38.3 Mitsubishi U.S. 1,896 +14.5 Nissan U.S.* 12,124 -34.4 Toyota U.S. 22,781 +23.7 Mazda U.S. 5,057 +145.0 Subaru U.S. 1,115 ** Isuzu U.S.* 766 ** TOTAL 389,427 -21.0

*Includes light truck sales.

**No comparison possible.

There were 10 selling days in the selling period this year and last year.