国际英语新闻：Three U.S automakers report double-digit sales drops for 2009

CHICAGO, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The three big automakers of the United States reported on Tuesday double-digit sales drops for 2009, the worst year for U.S. auto sales in nearly 30 years.

    General Motors reported sales of 2,084,492 vehicles in 2009, off 30 percent from the previous year. Its December sales were down 6 percent compared with the previous month.

    "The year-over-year comparison reflects a 38-percent reduction in fleet, reduced overall incentive spending and the orderly wind-down of the Pontiac and Saturn brands," said Susan Docherty, GM vice president, U.S. Sales.

    Chrysler had its worst sales year in 47 years in 2009 as it sold just over 931,000 cars and trucks in the year.

    The struggling automaker says its sales fell 36 percent compared with 2008 as the company received government aid and worked through bankruptcy protection.

    Ford reported sales of 1,682,323 vehicles in 2009, a 15.4-percent decrease compared with the previous year.

    However, Ford ended the year with a bang, with December sales up 33 percent. The automaker says it gained U.S. market share for the year for the first time since 1995.