The year may be new, but the news relating to automakers is not.  Year-end figures will disappoint just about everyone as the four leading companies saw across-the-board declines in sales figures.  There were perhaps just two silver linings.

No fair jumping ahead, of course - vegetables before dessert and all that.  Kendra Marr reports, “For the year, GM’s sales totaled 2.95 million, down 23 percent from 2007.  Toyota’s annual sales dropped 16 percent to 2.22 million.  Ford’s sales eroded 20 percent to 1.9 million vehicles.  Chrysler sold 1.45 million units, a 30 percent decrease.”

So here’s silver lining number one: GM fans can at least be happy that, despite losing more ground than Toyota over the past 12 months, the General remains in the top spot.  Given all its competitors have done, that’s really saying something.

Then, to see silver lining number two, we’ll have to adopt the perspective of someone who prefers imports.  Toyota is gaining ground, after all, and current conditions tend to favor its more fuel-efficient vehicles.  So it could either take the lead or force American manufacturers to offer some much better products.

Those are the best silver linings we could think of.  The situation may bear comparison to a New Year’s Eve party at which the heat is out, but at least that makes the alcohol cold.