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MARK AUSTIN THOMAS: The auto industry expects slumping sales figures for December, but Marketplace’s Sam Eaton reports one company should buck that trend.
SAM EATON: You can blame the economy, the housing slump or higher gas prices for the projected six percent drop in U.S. auto sales this month.

But there’s one glaring problem with that says Edmunds analyst Jesse Toprak: Toyota. He says the Japanese automaker will likely see a seven percent jump in sales, replacing Ford as the U.S.’s No. 2 automaker.

JESSE TOPRAK: It seems like nothing can stop Toyota this year. They seem to have the right product mix, right image, right momentum in the marketplace.

In contrast, Ford sales are likely to sink nearly 20 percent over last December. Ford has been especially hard hit by declining truck sales.

Of the big three, GM is expected to fare best. The world’s largest automaker is projected to post only a five percent drop in sales.

In Los Angeles, I’m Sam Eaton for Marketplace.

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