WASHINGTON — The auto industry capped 2008 with its worst sales in 15 years, as Americans continued to steer clear of dealerships in December, according to year-end sales figures released Monday.
Sales at General Motors, Toyota, Ford and Chrysler — the U.S. market’s four largest auto manufacturers — fell sharply last month as companies sought help from Congress to avoid financial collapse. GM said sales fell 31 percent compared with the same month a year ago.
Ford’s sales plummeted 32 percent, and Toyota posted a 37 percent decline. Chrysler’s sales dropped 53 percent in December.
For the year, GM’s sales totaled 2.95 million, down 23 percent from 2007. Toyota’s annual sales dropped 16 percent to 2.22 million.
Ford’s sales eroded 20 percent to 1.9 million vehicles. Chrysler sold 1.45 million units, a 30 percent decrease.
GM took some solace from holding on to its No. 1 position in the U.S. auto market.
“Despite some of the things that came out in the discussion in Congress, that Americans do not want to buy American vehicles, this data puts that to rest,” said Mike DiGiovanni, GM’s executive director of global market and industry analysis.
Auto executives attribute their poor sales to the economic downturn.
Consumer confidence took a historic nose dive as credit markets froze, making it difficult for buyers to obtain auto loans.
Lower gas prices and end-of-the- year discounts did little to bring people into showrooms.
“There is business out there, but the business has been reduced, first and foremost because consumers are concerned about their employment status, their prospects for income growth, whether they are going to get a raise or not or whether they are going to have a job or not,” said George Pipas, Ford’s sales analyst. “And I think that’s going to continue to weigh on consumers in the first quarter.”
The industry is bracing for even weaker sales this year.
“We expect the first several months of 2009 are going to feel very much like the last few months of 2008,” said Emily Kolinski Morris, a Ford economist.
