Auto Makers Note Slowing Sales

Industry giants General Motors Corp. and Toyota Motor Corp. on Thursday each forecast slowing auto sales in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

GM cast a wider net, trimming its U.S. sales projections for the entire industry, the Financial Times said, citing North American President Ron Zarrella. The world’s No. 1 auto maker is reducing its forecasts for industrywide sales of new cars and light trucks to 16.4 million units from 16.8 million, the paper said.

Sales dropped by about 30% in the first week after the U.S. hijackings, though they have since rebounded, Zarrella said.

GM last week began offering no-interest financing on all its vehicles through the end of October to try to revive demand. Big Three rivals Ford Motor Co. and DaimlerChrysler’s U.S. unit responded with similar offers.

Toyota, No. 4 in the key U.S. market, said its own sales here will probably fall 7% in September compared with a year earlier after the terrorist attacks dented consumer confidence.