• February 28, 2008

Santa Monica, Calif.-based auto research firm and consumer car-shopping Web site Edmunds.com sees February auto sales returning to the trend of the past six years: domestics down, imports up.

Edmunds predicts sales in February of 1.22 million units--a 2.3% decrease from the month last year, but a 16.8% increase from January's doldrums. Edmunds predicts that when the numbers shake out, market share for the three domestics will be about 52%, down from 55% by month's end last year.

Chrysler sales will have slipped 10.4% versus last January; Ford will have declined by the same percentage, and GM sales will be down 13.1% for the month, says Edmunds, which sees Honda up 3.1%, Nissan up 1%, and Toyota up 3.5% in February.

--Nina M. Lentini