France’s Auto Sales Drop 17%

Carmakers sold 197,700 light vehicles in France in May compared with 238,900 units a year earlier, says auto trade group CCFA. May marked the ninth straight month of year-over-year declines.

The group says the drop was especially sharp because there were three fewer sales days last month than in May 2011.

Demand for passenger cars slid 16% to 165,800 units. Light commercial vehicle volume fell 23% to 900 units.

Unit sales fell 28% to 59,600 at PSA Peugeot Citroen, 14% to 47,600 at Renault, 13% to 24,000 at Volkswagen Group, 14% to 10,600 at GM, 22% to 10,200 at Ford and 21% to 9,700 at Fiat.

France's light vehicle sales declined 16% to 1 million units in the January-May period, including a 17% drop to 840,200 passenger vehicles.