Sales of US '81 cars hit worst point since 1930s

US automakers reported car sales for the 1981 model year slipped 2.6 percent, indicating the industry's worst sales slump since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Although there were a few successes during the year, the industry reported it sold 6,590,017 US-built cars in the 12-month period that ended Sept. 30, down from the poor 1980 showing of 6,787,495.