In addition to the financing incentives, G.M. spent heavily to promote its no-interest loan program on television and in newspaper advertising.

The decline comes despite fairly broad and aggressive cash rebates and other financing incentives, including rebates offered by several Japanese manufacturers.

"The automakers are sneaking through sticker price increases and consumers are not feeling them because they are getting financing incentives," he said.

The big increase in August reflected the cut-rate financing incentives offered to reduce a high inventory of unsold cars.

Last year, car sales in early January were particularly sluggish, mainly because rebates and low financing incentives ended the previous December.

Costly zero-percent financing incentives have shrunken its cash reserves.

"Consumers are responding to zero-rate financing incentives for autos," Mr. Harris said.

Another recommendation, made in the explanatory statement to your report, is to go so far as to grant public financing incentives to the parties which get the most women into parliament.

In August, auto makers offered new cut-rate financing incentives to reduce their huge backlog of unsold cars.

Toyota and Honda maintained sales while offering less of a financing incentive because they could rely on customers' loyalty.