MEMO: U.S. AUTO SALES DOWN 8 PERCENT

The best year ever for the U.S. auto industry ended with a whimper as a slowing economy pushed December sales down about 8 percent.

Automakers sold 17.4 million cars, pickups, vans, minivans and sport utility vehicles last year, beating their record of 16.9 million set in 1999. But the major U.S. manufacturers -- General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and the Chrysler side of DaimlerChrysler AG -- saw sales decline in 2000 by 2 percent, as foreign automakers boosted sales and grabbed a larger slice of the market.