Sales in May are better than predicted

THE VINDICATOR, YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO
STAFF/WIRE REPORTS
Sales of cars made at the Lordstown Assembly Plant fell dramatically in May.
Chevrolet sold 23,504 Cavaliers last month, which was down 20 percent from the 29,542 that were sold in the same month last year. For the first five months of this year, Cavalier sales are off 18 percent at 94,133.
Sales of the Cavalier's twin, the Pontiac Sunfire, continue to be bad. Pontiac sold 3,754 Sunfires last month, which was down 60 percent from the 9,405 sold in the same month last year. For the year, Sunfire sales are down 56 percent at 15,154.
General Motors Corp. was the only of Detroit's Big Three automakers to post a sales gain in May, while the American affiliates of Toyota, Honda and Nissan all saw business increase from a year ago.
Industrywide, May's seasonally adjusted annual sales rate was 16.1 million units -- a bit above most predictions but below April's rate of 16.5 million units.
Tepid business since the first of the year prompted Ford Motor Co. to announce a 15 percent reduction on production for the July-September period, and GM will scale back production 6 percent.