Auto sales slow in December of a very good year

DETROIT, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- Growth in U.S. auto sales slowed in December, automakers said, with General Motors reporting a drop in sales compared to the same month a year earlier.

GM said sales in the month were 6.3 percent under December 2012 with 230,157 vehicles sold compared to 245,733 a year earlier. For the year, however, GM sales were up 7 percent compared to 2012 with 2.8 new vehicles sold.

Ford Motor Co. posted a 10.8 percent gain from year to year. For the year, Ford said it sold 2.49 million vehicles, while Chrysler Group's total for the year came to 1.8 million, a 9 percent gain over 2012, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

But December sales showed slower growth with Ford's total of cars and light trucks sold at 216,592, up from 212,902 in December 2012, and Chrysler sales for the month at 161,007 vehicles in December, a gain from December 2012, when sales reached 152,367 vehicles and up 13 percent from November, when it sold 142,275.

Nissan Motor Co. said sales rose 10.5 percent over December 2012, while Volkswagen and Toyota Motor Company reported declines of 23 percent and 1.7 percent, respectively.

"December started a little slow but sales were stronger later in the month, especially in the week between Christmas and New Year's," said GM Vice President Kurt McNeil.