Sales of the Lordstown-built Chevrolet Cobalt small cars dropped 22 percent in October to 5,055 units from 6,478 in October 2008, General Motors Corp. said Tuesday in releasing its total sales numbers for the month.

Sales were off 24.8 percent based on 28 selling days last month compared to 27 in 2008.

Cobalt sales for the year through October are off 46.2 percent at 90,940 compared to 168,940 in the same period of 2008.

Sales of the Pontiac G5, which also is made at Lordstown, finished the month down 54.6 percent at 369 from 812 a year ago. The change per selling days was 56.2 percent.

Year-to-date sales for the G5 are off 50.8 percent at 10,778 compared to 1,892 last year.

Dealers' supplies of Cobalts were depleted by the government-funded Cash for Clunkers, which generated a flood of buyers in late July and most of August wanting to take advantage of incentives of as much as $4,500 to turn in older, gas-guzzling cars for new, more fuel-efficient cars like the Cobalt.

Cobalt sales surged to 17,393 in August, beating year-ago sales by 13.8 percent, the first time Cobalt sales showed a year-over-year gain since July 2008. But the sale spree left dealers' lots thinned, prompting GM to bring back a second shift of workers Oct. 5.

The complex built 10,838 Cobalts in October, its highest total since 16,809 last December. The complex built 30,730 Cobalts in October 2008 as it operated in three shifts because high gasoline prices had spurred demand for the gas-sipping car.

The factories didn't build any G5s, which are being phased out with the Pontiac line. Workers built 5,793 G5s a year ago.

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