Big Three All Posted Double-Digit Gains In Auto Sales Last Month

"All three Detroit automakers saw double-digit sales increases in August compared with the same month last year," the Detroit Free Press writes. The gains "show that the automotive industry remains one of the economy's few bright spots," it adds.

As the Los Angeles Times puts it, "consumers bought cars at a steady pace in August as the automobile industry continued to help anchor the U.S. economy."

Chrysler said it sales rose 14 percent, "on strong demand for Ram pickup trucks," The Associated Press reports.

"General Motors Co. sales jumped 10 percent, about double expectations, and Ford Motor Co. sales were up 13 percent, about 3 percentage points higher than anticipated," the Detroit News says. It adds that "Fiat's 34 percent increase was the largest sales gain of any Chrysler brand, and August marked Chrysler Group's 29th consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains."

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