The auto sales declined by 51 percent in the first 10 months of 2009, compared with the same period last year, the Association of European Businesses said Monday.

The figure is similar to the September figure, indicating that the market has “stabilized, but at a hugely reduced level,” AEB auto committee head David Thomas said in a statement.

AvtoVAZ sales declined by 44 percent to 297,725 cars. GM Group sales are down 57 percent, Volkswagen group down 26 percent and Ford down 56 percent.

(MT)