Auto industry executives and dealers say new car

and truck sales in January appear to be stronger than expected after the expiration of zero per cent financing programs that drove strong car sales in October and November, according to a report by Karen Lundegaard in the Wall Street Journal.

Industry officials had feared a sharp dropoff in new-vehicle sales in January as the zero percent financing programs ended, on the

assumption that the big incentives pulled ahead hundreds of thousands of sales at the expense of sales in early 2002. But automakers and dealers interviewed during the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) convention in New Orleans said they aren't seeing as much evidence of payback for the

post-Sept. 11 incentives as they had expected.

"January sales are looking excellent," said Jim Press, chief operating officer of Toyota Motor Corp.'s U.S. arm. Through the first 20 days of the month, sales of its Toyota and Lexus brand are up in the high single digits compared with a year ago - "modestly exceeding expectations," Press said.

Other automakers offered more anecdotal evidence. "We're running well ahead of track, and I believe our competitors are too," Bob Lutz, vice chairman for product development at

General Motors Corp., said in a speech late last week.