Government Motors Doesn't Sell

Auto sales are up - except at the companies that took the bailout.

Ford Motor Co., Toyota Motor Co. and Honda Motor Co. all reported substantial sales increases in the year's final month. Toyota said the surge meant it sold more cars to U.S. consumers in 2009 than any other maker, passing General Motors Co. in "retail" sales for the first time.

GM, which sells more cars to fleet customers such as car-rental companies than Toyota, still finished the year at No. 1 in overall sales. Still, its overall sales total for the month fell 5.7% to 207,538 vehicles.

And while Chrysler Group LLC posted just a 3.7% decline for December, its sales total for the entire year was the worst it has seen in 47 years.

For the month of December, Ford's sales rose 33.5%, Toyota's 32% and Honda's 24.5%, while GM's declined 5.7% and Chrysler's 3.7%. It appears as though I'm not the only one who won't buy a vehicle from bailout recipients GM and Chrysler.