Chevrolet was the best-selling brand in the U.S. market in 2005, outpacing Ford for the first time in 19 years. But that was where the good news ended for General Motors Corp. and other U.S. automakers, who continued to lose ground to foreign rivals.

GM’s sales fell 4 percent for the year, led by a 7 percent decline in car sales. Although Chevrolet sales slipped slightly from last year to 2.6 million, they outpaced Ford by around 21,000 vehicles.