Cobalt sales continue to rise

Sales of the Chevrolet Cobalt are on a roll.

The Lordstown-built model nearly posted its best January ever last month, one month after setting a record for December sales.

General Motors Corp. said today that it sold 17,310 Cobalts in the U.S. last month, which was a 33 percent increase over the 13,023 Cobalts sold in January 2007.

The best January ever for the Cobalt was in 2006 when GM sold 17,513.

Last month’s results made the sixth-straight month that Cobalt sales have topped those from the same month a year earlier.

The other model made at GM’s Lordstown complex, the Pontiac G5, also posted a strong month. GM sold 1,970 G5s last month, compared with 1,312 in January 2007.

Overall, GM, led by strong crossover vehicle sales, reported an increase of 2.6 percent in January compared with the same month last year.

Ford Motor Co., Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. all reported sales declines in January to start what industry analysts have predicted will be the worst U.S. auto sales year in more than a decade.

For the complete story, see Saturday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com.