Japan carmakers sales increase, Big-3 falls again
Domestic automakers, reducing their reliance on sales to rental-car fleets, continued to post declines while their major foreign rivals gained. But Ford Motor Co. managed to hold off Toyota for second place, with an advantage of less than 2,000 vehicles.
Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. said June sales of 245,739 were up more than 6 percent compared to a year ago. Its Tundra full-size pickup truck bucked the trend, posting its best month ever with sales of 21,727.
American Honda Motor Co. said sales were up 7.3 percent to 140,935 units.
General Motors Corp. reported that U.S. sales in June plunged 24 percent to 326,300 compared with June 2006. The company said that in addition to lower fleet sales, retail sales were softer than in previous months.
Despite brisk sales of its new Edge and other crossover vehicles, Ford said June sales were down 8 percent compared to the same month last year.
The Dearborn-based automaker sold 247,599 units in June, compared to 269,404 a year ago.
Ford, like other domestic car companies, continues to withdraw from sales to daily rental-car fleets. It said June fleet sales were down 39 percent, or 22,000 units, compared to a year ago. Detroit News