Maryland motorists bucked the national trend and went on a car-buying spree that enabled state dealers to post increases in sales of almost 30 percent in January, according to figures released yesterday by the Motor Vehicle Administration.
For the nation as a whole, sales were off 2 percent last month when compared with the same period a year ago.
According to MVA figures, 28,845 new vehicles were sold last month, compared with 22,247 in January 1994.
The figures also show that motorists purchased slightly less expensive vehicles or selected fewer options. The average price of a new vehicle was $19,455. This was down from $19,779 in December, but more than $1,000 above the average selling price in January a year ago.
Commenting on state sales, Robert Russel, president of R&H; Motor Cars Ltd. in Owings Mills and secretary-treasurer of the Maryland New Car and Truck Dealers Association, said he was surprised by last month's state figures.
"I think there were some pockets of goodness," Mr. Russel said. "But I didn't think it was that good of a month."
For some dealers, he said, January was disappointing.
Mr. Russel said last month's sales figures were inflated slightly because of the harsh weather in January last year which deprived dealers of a few selling days.
Despite the ice-covered roads a year ago, sales last January were still almost 20 percent higher than in the same month of 1993.