Cobalt sales keep increasing

Sales of the Chevrolet Cobalt rose for the third straight month when compared with last year.

General Motors Corp. said Thursday that it sold 16,505 Cobalts in the U.S. in October, nearly double what it sold in the same month last year.

October 2005 was one of the worst months ever for the Cobalt, with sales of just 8,772. Car dealers said last fall that sales were down because of a lack of incentives on the car and reduced supplies after GM eliminated the midnight shift at GM’s Lordstown complex, where the car is made.

Despite the positive month for the Cobalt, its sales so far this year are lagging last year’s totals. GM sold 169,400 Cobalts in the first 10 months of the year, which was 10 percent less than during the same period last year.

GM said earlier this year that sales totals were down because it was selling fewer cars to rental car fleets.

October also was a good month for the other car made in Lordstown, the Pontiac G5. Sales of that model totaled 2,519, up from 1,341 in October 2006.

For more on this story, see Friday’s Vindicator or www.vindy.com