US: Ford forecasts softening in small car sales

The Detroit News - Sales of small cars will back off slightly and pickups will show an uptick when the auto industry reports its June U.S. sales on Friday, Ford Motor Co. sales analyst George Pipas said Wednesday.

Compact and subcompact cars started the year representing 18.7 percent of total U.S. sales but by March grew to 24 percent and then inched to 24.3 percent in April when gasoline prices created a scare at the pump.

In May, small cars accounted for 23 percent of total sales, but June figures will show them dropping further to about 22.7 percent, Pipas said.