Late sales rebound helps US automakers avoid 2020 disaster

DETROIT (AP) — U.S. new-vehicle sales fell 14.6% last year, but a second-half rebound from a springtime plunge kindled optimism for recovery later this year. Automakers sold 14.57 million new vehicles for the year, a far cry from the five previous years with sales over 17 million. But the 2020 performance was better than most forecasters expected when the coronavirus pandemic forced auto factories and many dealerships to shut down in April and May. General Motors Chief Economist Elaine Buc