September drop for US car sales

The cash for clunkers scheme ended on 24 August

The big three US car firms all saw their sales fall in September, as they suffered a hangover from the end of the "cash for clunkers" scrappage scheme.

General Motors reported the biggest decline, with its sales dropping 45% from a year earlier, while Chrysler's fell 45%, and Ford's slipped 5%.

The falls came after the scrappage scheme ended on 24 August.

This gave customers a cash incentive to trade in their old cars for new ones, lifting US sales in July and August.

Hyundai exception

The $3bn (£1.8bn) Car Allowance Rebate System offered customers $3,500 towards the cost of a new vehicle. A similar scheme is continuing in the UK.

As expected, the market returned to pre cash for clunkers levels in September Mark LaNeve, GM's vice-president of US sales

Ford's decline in sales was much less severe than its rivals, as it was helped by the popularity of its newly launched Taurus model.

Japanese firms also saw their US sales fall in September, with Toyota's down 13% and Nissan's falling 7%.

South Korea's Hyundai bucked the trend, with its sales for the month adding 27%.

"As expected, the market returned to pre cash for clunkers levels in September," said Mark LaNeve, GM's vice-president of US sales.

"Fortunately the fourth quarter looks brighter."

In August Ford saw its sales rise 17%, thanking the impact of the scrappage scheme.

While GM's sales for August fell 20%, again when compared with the same month a year earlier, it was quick to point out that sales rose by 30% compared with July.