Registration of new cars in El Paso County fell 41 percent during the first six months of 2009 compared to sales in the same period a year ago.

Colorado Auto Outlook, in a report prepared for the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association, reported that 5,569 new vehicles were registered in the county from January through June, the latest period for which statistics are available. Last year during the same period, 9,436 vehicles were registered.

Statewide, registrations of new cars during the six-month period were down 41.4 percent from a year ago, worse than the 35.1 percent decline nationwide.

The steepest drops in new car registrations in the state were in Eagle County, 53.1 percent, and in neighboring Summit County, 52.8 percent.

The top selling brands in Colorado, ranked by percentage of sales, were: Toyota, 16.3 percent; Ford, 10.7 percent; Honda, 9.7 percent; and Subaru, 7.8 percent.

Auto Outlook is forecasting total light truck and car sales in 2009 in Colorado will number 98,524, a 32.4 percent decline from the 145,714 trucks and cars sold in 2008. More than 182,300 new vehicles were registered in Colorado in 2005.

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