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28/08/2008 02:31. The auto industry is deep in the weeds right now, particularly in the United States. American manufacturers are hemorrhaging money -- General Motors (NYSE: GM ) alone has lost $30 billion in the last three years -- as high gas prices and an (unofficial but very real) recession forces consumers to abandon their American-made trucks and SUVs by the millions.

Even with the pronounced shift toward smaller and more efficient cars, the overall auto market in the U.S. is shrinking thanks to the poor economy, and most manufacturers are selling fewer vehicles. But one company stands out as an exception to the rule of declining sales: Honda Motor Ltd. (NYSE: HMC ). In the first seven months of 2008, Honda increased its sales by over 3%. By comparison, Chrysler lost 22%, GM fell 17%, Ford (NYSE: F )... // BloggingStocks