Drop in L.A. car sales

It’s another one of those sign-of-the-times indicators. New vehicle registrations in L.A. County fell 16.3 percent in the first quarter, which is a bit under the 19.3 percent statewide figure. Car sales have been terrible - no surprise, really, given high gas prices and tight credit. Broken out by brand, Lexus is down 16.6 percent, Toyota 15 percent and Mercedes 21.5 percent. Hummer sales are down 45.4 percent, but keep in mind that only 221 vehicles were sold in the quarter (small numbers can often skew percentages). VWs, Mini Coopers, and of all things Buicks were the only brands to show increased sales. Anyway, here's the full line-up, courtesy of the Orange County Automobile Dealers Association (hat tip to the Register)