DEARBORN, Mich. -- Auto sales in October could hit the lowest levels since the early 1980s, says Ford Motor's head of sales analysis, and future months could go even lower, according to USA Today.

"The next six to 12 months are going to be very, very challenging," George Pipas, Ford's U.S. sales analyst, said in a meeting with journalists at Ford's headquarters Friday. "And I mean this for the whole planet."

Industry auto sales will be released Monday afternoon, following nearly six weeks of lagging sales. Car sales cooled in mid-September when the credit crisis hit, and haven't returned yet, Pipas says. He says Ford still doesn't know if the market has hit its bottom.