Car dealers across Wisconsin had a grim year for sales in 2008, and this year remains uncertain.
Statewide sales of new vehicles were down 13-percent in 2008, compared to the year before. Things were at their worst late in the year, with sales of new cars and trucks down 30-percent.
Scott Quimby is with Reg-Trak, Incorporated, a firm that tracks vehicle registrations. He says the small gains made early in 2008 were off set by a drop in sales that hasn't been seen in 25 years. The same trends were seen nationwide.
Quimby says it's no secret that sales have been atrocious and dealers are just trying to hang on at this point, hoping there's some improvement in the economy this year that will have people returning to showrooms.