Auto sales shake off post-Clunkers dive, rise 13% in October

Nov 04, 2009 | 11:57 AM | Corinna Petry

Car and light truck sales by the top seven brands in the United States rebounded somewhat in October, increasing 13 percent from September, when sales fell 41.9 percent in the immediate aftermath of the federal "Cash for Clunkers" incentive program, according to an AMM analysis.

October sales by the top seven brands grew to 704,676 vehicles from 623,773 the previous month but were down 0.7 percent from 709,966 vehicles in October 2008—the month that the global credit crisis (evidenced by the collapse of investment bank Lehman Brothers) and the recession came to the foreground of consumers' consciousness.

The top seven brands sold close to 7.26 million vehicles through the first 10 months of this year, down 27.1 percent from nearly 9.96 million in the same period last year.....