Automakers posted their strongest April sales since 2007 as many reported double-digit gains with trucks and SUVs leading the surge.
General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, and Nissan all posted strong gains in April from a year earlier. Hyundai posted a marginal sales bump, while Toyota was down slightly and Volkswagen was down more than 10%.
Truck sales were crucial to the success of the Big Three U.S. automakers in April, thanks largely to the improving economy, said Jessica Caldwell, an analyst with Edmunds.com. Overall sales were the best for April in six years, according to Edmunds.
"A lot of this comes from housing, an increase in construction, and the economy recovering in general," Caldwell said. "It’s also not just construction but people investing in businesses."
Ford Motor Co.’s sales rose 17.9% this April from last. The automaker’s venerable F-Series pickup -- the bestselling vehicle in the U.S. for 31 years -- rose 24.4% in the same period.
Both General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group reported 11% growth in April. Chrysler’s Ram truck division saw sales rise 49% from a year earlier. Sales of GM’s twin trucks, the GMC Sierra and the Chevrolet Silverado, were up a combined 23.6%.