Auto sales reflect ongoing recovery

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DETROIT, Dec. 3 (UPI) -- Auto sales among top brands rose in November compared with a year earlier, as the industry remains in a recovery mode in the United States.

General Motors sold 186,505 cars and light trucks in November with sales up 3.4 percent compared with November 2011. At Ford Motor Company, sales rose 6.4 percent with sales of 177,092 cars and light trucks.

Chrysler outsold rival American Honda Motor Co. with sales of 122,565, a 14.4 percent gain from November 2011. But Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. outsold Chrysler with 161,695 cars sold in the month, a 17.2 percent gain over Toyota sales in November 2011.

Honda sold 116,695 vehicles, 5,985 fewer than Chrysler, but November sales rose 38.9 percent from the same month of 2011.

Nissan North America notched 96,197 sales, 12.9 percent more than a year earlier. Volkswagen Group of America posted sales of 49,062 vehicles, a gain of 28.2 percent above November 2011.

South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor America reported 53,487 cars and light trucks sold, a gain of 7.8 percent, while Kia Motors America reported 41,055 sold, up 10.9 percent from November 2011.

Subaru of America sold 28,306 cars and light trucks, a gain of 59.7 percent from the same month of 2011.

GM also leads the industry on year-to-date sales with 2,349,984 sold, a 3.5 percent gain from the first 11 months of 2011.

Total sales for the industry for 2012 include 6,765,889 passenger cars and 6,369,687 light trucks, a total of 13,135,576 cars and light trucks, a gain of 13.9 percent over 2011 January through November.