AUTOS

Ford’s September Sales Fall 8.9%: The nation’s No. 2 auto maker recorded its first monthly sales decline of the year, contributing to an industrywide drop of 3.1% from September, 1994, in sales of cars and light trucks. Ford Motor Co.’s U.S. deliveries of cars were down 16.4% and its truck sales were off 0.7%, for an overall drop of 8.9%. For the year to date, Ford sales are up 1.6%; the industry overall is down 1.8% from 1994 year-to-date levels. Ford analyst Joel Pitcoff described the company’s September decline as a “flutter” caused by factors that include component shortages, short Taurus and Sable inventories as Ford changed to new models for those best-sellers and the auto haulers’ strike. Ford noted that last month’s results were measured against September, 1994, the company’s third-best sales month ever.