North American vehicle production swinging up

DETROIT (March 2)—U.S.-based auto makers´ reports of February unit sales reflect a trend of upward vehicle production. Despite an 11-percent decline in sales for the month of February vs. sales during the same month last year, Ford Motor Co. increased its previously announced first-quarter North American production plan by 10,000 units to 1.06 million cars and trucks. "It´s looking more and more like 2001 could be the third best U.S. sales year in history," said Bob Rewey, Ford group vice president of global consumer services and North America. General Motors Corp.´s car sales for the month fell 9 percent, while light truck unit sales were down 10 percent. GM set its second-quarter production estimate at 1.3 million vehicles, a 17-percent decline from last year, but slightly higher than its unchanged plan for 1.2 million vehicles during the first quarter. The Chrysler Group of DaimlerChrysler A.G. also reported a 10-percent decline in its sales for the month, but said it sold 41,000 more vehicles in February than in January.