It took a full year for the Ford Mustang to regain its pony car sales title versus the reborn Chevy Camaro, but May sales totals show that the 'Stang has finally regained its mojo. The far more powerful 2011 Mustang plays a huge roll in the comeback, but after originally reporting the upset, Automotive News is now pointing out a second factor that helped the Blue Oval bring the May pony car sales title back to Dearborn.

The Camaro has been selling so well that General Motors hasn't had to pour any money into incentives.That's zero denero, no super low financing... nothing. The tale of the Mustang's May sales tally is a bit murkier. First, 4,376 of the Mustangs sold in May were 2010 models, and those coupes could be had with $2,500 on the hood and financing between zero and 5.9 percent – depending on the length of the loan. According to Edmunds.com, the 2011 Mustang has $1,500 on the hood for returning lessees and conquests alike, plus financing as low as zero percent for 36 months.

Does the fact that the Mustang has some cash on its hood mean that its 10,225 to 8,931 sales victory against the Camaro is tainted? We're not inclined to think so because a win is a win no matter how you dissect it. But at the same time, we're pretty sure GM is thrilled to be selling their pony car at a clip of 100,000 units per year without any cash on the hood. Not a bad consolation prize.

China May car sales rise 26%, slowest growth rate this year
June 8, 2010 - 4:16 am ET
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BEIJING/SHANGHAI (Reuters) -- China's passenger-car sales in May rose 26 percent from a year earlier, the slowest pace this year, setting the stage for more moderate but solid growth in the coming months after fast-paced expansion in 2009.

The growth in the world's biggest auto market started tapering off in April when car sales rose 33 percent, about half of the pace in March, which analysts attributed to a higher comparative base a year earlier.

A more moderate pace is expected for the rest of the year, given rampant auto sales growth especially since the second quarter of 2009, propelled by government incentives to boost consumption along with a near $600 billion economic stimulus plan.

"Auto sales actually fell in January 2009. It wasn't until April that the market started to pick up strongly," said Chen Liang, an analyst with Huatai Securities. "The May data is still pretty solid, but it's just impossible to match last year's run-away growth rate especially in the second half."

China, which eclipsed the United States as the world's biggest auto market last year, has become a safe haven and a key battlefield for foreign automakers still recovering from a steeper than expected industry downturn.

A total of 1.04 million sedans, vans and SUVs was sold last month, compared with 1.11 million units moved in April, the official China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said on Tuesday.

Analysts expect car sales will return to a slower but more rational growth rate of roughly 20 percent in 2010, due largely to pent-up demand in smaller cities where cars are no longer a luxury item as wealth grows.