NEW YORK, Nov. 3, 2009 (Kyodo News International) -- New car sales in the United States remained almost unchanged in October from a year ago with those of General Motors Co. up for the first time in 21 months, a monthly report by a U.S. research firm showed Tuesday.
Ford Motor Co. also saw its sales rise, by 2.8 percent to 132,146 units, but sales sagged at Chrysler Group LLC by 30.4 percent to 65,803 units.
Sales by all automakers operating in the United States totaled 838,052 units in the reporting month, almost unchanged from the 838,156 units in October last year, according to Autodata Corp.
The U.S. car market emerged firm in October after tumbling in September, when sales fell 22.7 percent after the end in late August of the government's ''cash for clunkers'' rebate program intended to promote fuel-efficient cars.
In October, sales climbed 5.6 percent -- the first rise since January 2008 -- to 176,119 units at GM, which emerged as a new government-backed company July 10 about 40 days after filing for bankruptcy June 1.
GM's good showing in the reporting month apparently reflects its heavy discounts of 2009 models.
The combined sales of the Big Three automakers fell 4.0 percent from a year earlier to 374,068 units in October. Chrysler, which filed for Chapter 11 proceedings at the end of April, remains in the doldrums.
In the month, the total monthly figure translates into a seasonally adjusted annualized 10.46 million units, recovering the 10 million mark for the first time in two months.
Sales at Toyota Motor Corp. amounted to 152,165 units, up marginally from 152,101 in October last year. A company spokesman said the problem of defective floor mats involving certain of its models had little effect on the October sales.
Honda Motor Co.'s sales fell 0.4 percent to 85,502 units.
Among other Japanese automakers, sales rose 5.6 percent to 60,115 units at Nissan Motor Co.
Sales declined 8.4 percent to 15,068 units at Mazda Motor Corp. but rose 40.7 percent to 18,169 units at Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. They shrank 48.3 percent to 3,867 units at Mitsubishi Motors Corp. and 49.9 percent to 1,745 units at Suzuki Motor Corp.
