Ford: June Could Be Best Month For US Auto Industry Since Sept

June could be the U.S. auto industry's best month since sales began their freefall last fall, Ford Motor Co.'s chief sales analyst said Monday.

Bouyed by fewer jobless claims and improved consumer confidence, the annualized sales rate in the U.S. could hit 10 million this month for the first time in 2009, Ford analyst George Pipas told reporters.

Deep discounts being rolled out as dealers and brands going out of business also likely helped bolster sales, he said.

Those factors suggest "the worst is behind us," Pipas said. "Even if sales fail to hit the 10 million milestone, we're still not slipping back."

Pipas predicts the industry's seasonally adjusted annualized sales rate, or SAAR, will come in around 9.5 million for the first half of the year.

Major auto makers report June U.S. sales results on Wednesday.

Pipas expects Ford, working to capitalize on its status as the only U.S. auto maker not living on federal funds, will report a June sales slide narrower than 20% from a year ago, which he said could be the industry's narrowest decline.

The U.S. industry has been clobbered by declines greater than 30% every month starting October when the meltdown on Wall Street sent auto sales spiraling to multi-decade lows.

Pipas said June sales got a boost as hundreds of Chrysler Group LLC dealers being forced out of business by the auto maker raced to offload inventories.

Sales of General Motors Corp.'s Pontiac brand, going out of business as part of the auto maker's restructuring, also comprised a greater share this month, he said.