US auto sales fall in May, but demand rises over April

• Source: Xinhua
• [09:31 June 03 2009]
• Comments

General Motors Corp., the largest US automaker which filing for bankruptcy protection on Monday, reported on Tuesday that its May sales fell 29.6 percent from a year ago.

 GM's report said its total sales volume, however, was up 11 percent, or about 19,000 vehicles for the month, and officials credited promising economic signs including improvement in the housing market and consumer confidence.

 "Those signs, along with more clarity on the New GM, are providing some additional consumer confidence," said Mark LaNeve, vice president of GM North America vehicle sales, service and marketing.

 In May, GM's truck and crossover sales were down 22 percent while car sales fell 38 percent.

 Chrysler LLC, which has already been in bankruptcy for a month and has ceased making vehicles since it filed for Chapter 11 on April 30, saw sales plummet 47 percent, including a 30-percent drop in retail sales. While retail customers were able to buy pre- shutdown inventory, fleet sales plummeted 90 percent as no orders were filled in May.

 Ford Motor Co. sales increased 20 percent over April, to 155, 954 vehicles -- the highest monthly tally since July of 2008 -- but demand was off 24 percent from last year.