Automakers see sales fall during March

Ford’s car sales were down 10 percent, dragged by declining demand for the Ford Mustang and Crown Victoria sedan. Ford’s overall sales for the first quarter were down 9 percent.

Toyota Motor Corp., which beat Ford to become the No. 2 automaker by U.S. sales last year, held onto its lead in the first quarter, outselling Ford by more than 43,000 vehicles. But Toyota took a beating in March, reporting truck and SUV sales down 14 percent and car sales down 7 percent. The Tundra pickup saw a surprising 17 percent sales increase, but totals were dragged down by SUV sales, which fell 20 percent. Toyota’s sales were down 6 percent for the quarter.

Honda Motor Co., which had bucked the downward sales trend in February, saw its 3 percent increase in car sales eroded by a 12 percent decline in truck and SUV sales. That drop was led by the Honda Pilot SUV, which saw sales fall 24 percent. Honda’s sales were flat for the first quarter.

Nissan Motor Co. reported a 10 percent increase in car sales, led by the subcompact Versa and the newly redesigned Altima. But Nissan’s truck and SUV sales plunged 20 percent, with the Nissan Titan pickup down 45 percent for the month and the Nissan Armada SUV down 43 percent. Nissan’s overall sales were down 4 percent for the quarter.

Truck sales have been hurt by the slowdown in housing construction. Small cars fared best as consumers focused on fuel efficiency. The Ford Focus saw sales jump 24 percent for the month, while Toyota’s subcompact Yaris saw sales rise 83 percent and Honda’s subcompact Fit saw a 74 percent jump.

GM and Ford said consumers are also choosing more fuel-efficient four-cylinder engines over six-cylinder options. Ford’s top U.S. sales analyst George Pipas said 70 percent of Ford Fusion buyers are now getting the four-cylinder engine for the midsize car, compared to 60 percent at this time last year.

GM shares were up 59 cents, or 3 percent, to $19.64 in afternoon trading. Ford shares rose 17 cents to $5.89, Toyota’s U.S. shares rose $2.03 to $102.92 and Honda’s U.S. shares were up 99 cents to $29.80. Auto shares rallied along with the market amid optimism that the worst of the credit crisis has passed and that the economy is faring better than expected.

The Associated Press reports unadjusted figures, calculating the percentage change in the total number of vehicles sold in one month compared with the same month a year earlier. Some automakers report percentages adjusted for sales days. There were 26 sales days last month and 28 in March 2007.

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