GM, Ford Report Declines in U.S. Sales

General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. reported lower U.S. vehicle sales for January, as the industry took a breather from a strong December performance. The industry total was down about 7% from January 1997. Detroit-based GM, the No. 1 auto maker in the U.S., said its light-vehicle sales fell 6.2% to 308,780. Strong truck demand led to a 10% increase in sales of pickup trucks, sport-utility vehicles and minivans. But car sales tumbled 18.2% to 154,879, hurt by slumping sales at the low end of the market. Dearborn, Mich.-based Ford said total sales fell 10.6% in January, worse than industry analysts had expected. Ford sold 102,712 cars in the month, an 11.3% decline. Sales of light trucks, normally strong for the nation’s second-biggest auto maker, fell 10.1% to 145,139. Total light-vehicle sales fell to 247,851 from 277,211 a year earlier. GM shares rose 94 cents to close at $61.88 and Ford fell 19 cents to close at $51.31, both on the New York Stock Exchange.