Aiken Standard in Aiken, South Carolina

Auto industry ends 1974 with sharp sales drop

Detroit AP reports 1974 domestic auto sales for the four majors fell 23 percent to 7,448,921 units, the lowest since 1963 excluding 1970 strike impact. December alone dropped 25 percent from a year earlier, signaling doubts for a 1975 recovery and threatening further layoffs amid plant closings. General Motors officials warned of possible upswing if consumer confidence improves.