European car sales sink 4.9 pct in May

BRUSSELS:: European car sales braked at a slower pace in May, down 4.9 percent from a year ago as state handouts to car buyers eased a yearlong sales slump, an industry group said Tuesday.

Sales of new cars fell for the thirteenth month in a row from the previous year, according to carmakers' association ACEA, with only two major manufacturers _ Volkswagen AG and Fiat SpA _ selling more than last year,

Government4.1 percent. Daimler reported falling sales for both its high-end Mercedes and its small Smart car models with an overall 8.0 percent drop.