DETROIT (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp (>> Toyota Motor Corp) expects the U.S. auto industry to sell more cars this year than in any year since at least 2005, Toyota U.S. sales executive Bill Fay said on Wednesday.

In 2005, sales were 16.94 million vehicles. Fay said on a conference call that the second half of this year will be stronger than the first half. It may be strong enough to make for the best sales year since 2001, when 17.1 million vehicles were sold.

Fay said Toyota expects June U.S. auto industry sales to be about 1.48 million vehicles, a rise of 4.5 percent from a year ago. June sales of Toyota's trucks and SUVs rose, and its car sales fell, in line with Detroit automakers also reporting sales on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Bernie Woodall; Editing by Matthew Lewis)

Stocks treated in this article : Ford Motor Company, Toyota Motor Corp, General Motors Company