The major automakers reported their December sales today and for the 11th straight month, they saw gains. Interestingly, sales of autos were down sharply for some of the automakers while light trucks and SUVs were up sharply – perhaps yet another sign of people feeling a little more economically comfortable.
In terms of auto sales, Chrysler had 46.5% fewer sales this past December then the year before. GM was off 20.6% and Toyota was down 16.1% The decline at GM put it in fourth place in terms of number of cars sold.
It appears that the Obama administration thinks the Big 3 ought to become the Big 2. In papers released in Washington late Sunday, the administrtion questioned whether Chrysler can survive on its own. While it acknowledges that Chrysler has made some progress under new management, the administration seriously questions many of the economic assumptions and forecasts that the auto-maker has submitted to the government.
