GM, Ford sales down as consumers turn to Asian trucks By Dee-Ann Durbin / Associated Press 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. Toyota Motor Corp.'s sales were up 7.8 percent last month. Truck sales were essentially flat, but car sales rose 13.7 percent. Overall sales for the automaker are up 11.9 percent for the year. Honda Motor Co. saw a 7.5 percent decline in sales, including a 19 percent decline in sales of its aging car lineup. But its trucks, including the new Honda Ridgeline pickup, saw a 14.3 percent increase over last May. Honda's sales are up less than 1 percent for the year. GM, the world's largest automaker, said it plans to cut third-quarter production by more than 100,000 vehicles, or 9 percent. Ford, meanwhile, said it plans to trim third-quarter production by 17,000 vehicles, or 2 percent. The news was another blow to auto suppliers who have been struggling because of first- and second-quarter production cuts. Sales percentages are adjusted for differences in the number of selling days. There were 24 selling days in May 2005 and 26 in May 2004. GM shares were up 10 cents to $31.63 in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Ford shares rose 4 cents to $10.02. Web source: http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosinsider/0506/02/01-200737.htm
