Car sales expected to have good month in June

LORDSTOWN — Vehicle sales, including compact cars, are expected to rebound in June, which could mean another big month for the Lordstown-built Chevrolet Cruze.

According to a J.D. Power and Associates report, June’s selling rate looks better than May’s, which dipped slightly after a torrid start to 2011.

Compact-car sales are expected to make up 17.6 percent of retail sales in June, up from 17.2 in May, when two models — the Cruze and Ford Focus — became the first two American-made cars to lead the compact-car category in five years.

The Cruze sold 22,711 units in May, slightly off its April pace, when it sold 25,160. The 2011 Cruze, no longer produced by the Lordstown plant according to United Auto Workers Local 1122 President Jim Graham, will have sold more than 100,000 units since it’s October debut when official auto sales figures are released Friday.

For the complete story, read Tuesday's Vindicator and Vindy.com