AUTOS

Oldsmobile Fights Rumors of Its Demise: General Motors Corp. may have dashed the rumor that it was killing its Oldsmobile division, but sales of Olds cars and trucks are plummeting and dealer frustration is growing. Oldsmobile sales in November tell the story. The division sold 24,369 cars and trucks during the month, 32% below the 36,078 sold in the same month last year. The rumor that Oldsmobile would be dropped as a marketing division first surfaced in the Washington Post in mid-October. But GM’s new chairman, John Smale, and chief executive, John F. Smith Jr., since have written to Oldsmobile dealers denying the rumor. GM has also run national newspaper and TV ads to counter the negative publicity.