- Jan 7, 2002
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DETROIT -- General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co., the nation's two biggest automakers, saw sales slip again in May as customers continued to turn away from sport utility vehicles and trucks in favor of models from Japanese competitors.
GM's car sales were down 1.6 percent, and the company's Cadillac brand enjoyed its best sales month in 12 years. But truck sales fell 7.8 percent for the month compared with May 2004. GM's sales are now off 5.2 percent for the year.
At Ford, the No. 2 carmaker behind GM, new vehicle demand fell for the 12th straight month. Sales were down nearly 3 percent in May, and Ford's total sales are off 4 percent for the first five months of the year.
The Mustang coupe sold at a blistering pace, up 47 percent from last May, Ford said Wednesday. Ford, Lincoln and Mercury brand car sales were up 4.3 percent, but it wasn't enough to offset a 6.4 percent loss in truck sales.
Asian automakers generally enjoyed better results. Nissan Motor Co. had a record May with a 15.5 percent increase in sales, including a 14.7 percent jump in truck sales. Jed Connelly, Nissan North America's senior vice president for sales and marketing, said the Armada SUV led the way with record monthly sales of 3,500.
"We're getting on people's shopping lists for the first time" in the SUV segment, Connelly said. Nissan's total sales are up 15.8 percent for the year. http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosinsider/0506/01/01-200737.htm
GM's car sales were down 1.6 percent, and the company's Cadillac brand enjoyed its best sales month in 12 years. But truck sales fell 7.8 percent for the month compared with May 2004. GM's sales are now off 5.2 percent for the year.
At Ford, the No. 2 carmaker behind GM, new vehicle demand fell for the 12th straight month. Sales were down nearly 3 percent in May, and Ford's total sales are off 4 percent for the first five months of the year.
The Mustang coupe sold at a blistering pace, up 47 percent from last May, Ford said Wednesday. Ford, Lincoln and Mercury brand car sales were up 4.3 percent, but it wasn't enough to offset a 6.4 percent loss in truck sales.
Asian automakers generally enjoyed better results. Nissan Motor Co. had a record May with a 15.5 percent increase in sales, including a 14.7 percent jump in truck sales. Jed Connelly, Nissan North America's senior vice president for sales and marketing, said the Armada SUV led the way with record monthly sales of 3,500.
"We're getting on people's shopping lists for the first time" in the SUV segment, Connelly said. Nissan's total sales are up 15.8 percent for the year. http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosinsider/0506/01/01-200737.htm