US sales stuck in reverse

DETROIT // It may be a new year, but for the "Big Three" car makers in the United States, it is the same old story as it was in 2008. Just published sales figures for new car registrations in January show the Big Three's numbers stuck in reverse. Ford's sales wilted by 40 per cent, General Motors numbers sank by 49 per cent and Chrysler's sales dropped by more than 50 per cent when compared with sales in Jan 2008. In comparison, Japanese car maker Nissan reported a 30 per cent drop in sales year on year. In total 656,976 vehicles were bought by the American public last month, compared with more than a million in Jan 2008.