UPDATE 1-GM U.S. September auto sales fall 45 percent

* Weak consumer confidence, 'clunkers' end, low inventory

* GM retail sales down 46 pct, fleet sales down 43 pct

* GM Q4 North American production plans unchanged

* Ford shares down 2.8 pct

DETROIT, Oct 1 (Reuters) - General Motors Co [GM.UL] said
on Thursday that its U.S. September auto sales fell 45 percent,
pressured by weak consumer confidence, low inventory levels and
the end of the U.S. government "cash for clunkers" incentives.

GM said that sales fell to 156,673 vehicles in September,
from 284,300 a year earlier when company incentives supported
sales. The automaker expects to post a 21 percent market share,
its highest of the year so far.

The results stood in contrast to Ford Motor Co (F.N), the
only large U.S. automaker to avoid a restructuring in
bankruptcy supported by the U.S. government this year, which
posted a 5 percent U.S. sales decline in September. Ford shares
were down 20 cents or 2.8 percent at $7.01 on the New York
Stock Exchange on Thursday afternoon

Rival Chrysler's U.S. sales fell 42 percent in September.

GM said retail sales fell 46 percent in September from a
year earlier and fleet sales fell 43 percent.

GM left its prior fourth-quarter North American production
forecast of 655,000 vehicles intact. That plan represents a 20
percent cut from the fourth quarter of 2008.

The automaker, which emerged from bankruptcy in July, said
it ended September with about 424,000 vehicles in stock, down
about 41 percent from a year earlier. The inventory included
157,000 cars and 267,000 trucks.
(Reporting by David Bailey and Kevin Krolicki, editing by
Matthew Lewis)