General Motors Corp Chief Executive Rick Wagoner on Thursday said SeptemberU.S. auto sales were running about flat from August as tightcredit markets crimp demand.



'The market this month seems kind of like last month,'Wagoner told reporters. 'Last month we also had tight credit,so I think there's no question that it's affecting automotiveactivity. I can't tell you honestly as we sit here today thatit seems worse than last month but certainly no better.'



Wagoner, who was speaking on the sidelines of an event tomark GM's decision to build a new $370 million engine plant inFlint, Michigan, said he hoped that the $700 billion bad loanbailout before Congress would also ease pressure on the autofinance market and its finance affiliate GMAC.



'There's no doubt that the automotive securitization marketis very, very tight now -- even for very good paper,' Wagonersaid. 'Anything they can do to loosen up that logjam forautomotive credit is going to help from the standpoint ofproduction, employment and demand for vehicles.' (Reporting by Kevin Krolicki, Editing by Maureen Bavdek)