Chrysler's U.S. Sales Up 40 Percent In February

With gasoline prices spiking 30 cents last month, demand soared for compact cars like the Focus and Civic. That lifted U.S. sales for Ford, Honda and other major automakers that reported February sales on Thursday.

 

Gasoline – which now average $3.74 per gallon – has sent more buyers looking for fuel-efficient vehicles.

 

Erich Merkle, Ford's top U.S. sales analyst, says small cars made up around 19 percent of industry sales in December. That rose to 21 percent in January and could go as high as 24 percent in February, once final sales are tallied.