Washington - Sales for US carmakers are holding up despite two of Detroit's so-called Big Three spending at least part of June in bankruptcy, according to monthly sales data released Wednesday. But Ford, the only major US carmaker to avoid bankruptcy, has taken advantage of the woes of its domestic rivals.
The June figures completed a depressing picture for all carmakers operating in the United States over the first half of 2009, as a deep US recession has kept consumers away from dealer showrooms.
Total US sales plunged 35 per cent over the first six months of this year compared to the first half of 2008, according to research group Autodata. They fell 30 per cent last month compared to June 2008.
General Motors, the largest US carmaker, which spent the entire month of June in bankruptcy, reported June sales fell 33 per cent from a year earlier to 174,785 vehicles. That is down from May's sales but better than GM's average 40-per-cent drop in 2009.
Foreign rivals have continued to suffer from the slowdown, too. Japanese firm Toyota, the world's largest carmaker, said US sales dropped 32 per cent in June from the previous year to 131,015 and have fallen 38 per cent in 2009.
Ford said that sales fell only 11 per cent in June to 154,873, the smallest drop of any major carmaker operating in the United States. Sales have plunged 33 per cent over the first six months of the year.
Chrysler emerged from bankruptcy in mid-June under the control of Italian manufacturer Fiat. Its sales plunged 42 per cent in June to 68,297, but the company said it actually increased its share of the US market by 1 per cent.
Toyota's Japanese rival Honda fell 30 per cent in June and is down 34 per cent for the year. Nissan reported a 23-per-cent drop in June sales and a 33-per-cent decline in the first half of 2009.
German giant Volkswagen witnessed sales dropping 16 per cent in June and 17 per cent over the course of the year. Its rival BMW fell 20 per cent in June and is down 28 per cent on the year.
