Best August since 2007 (Chrysler); best-ever for Escape and Fusion, with retail up 19% (Ford, obviously); best-ever August (Kia and Hyundai); sales up 24% and 60% (Infiniti and Honda,
respectively). Just about everyone had something good to say about this month just past, which is more than you can say about the economy. As the world waits to see what happens to the Drachma, oil
prices, and Great White Sharks in Cape Cod, automakers can say they skipped over the choppy waters in August.
General Motors saw an 11% increase in retail sales, which makes it the best month
for the automaker this year. The company, in a statement, credits its big Olympics buy with boosting Chevrolet passenger car sales by 25%, with the Spark, Sonic, Cruze and Volt all posting their
best-ever monthly sales, per the company. Chevrolet said its Equinox crossover got an August record as it lifted sales of the vehicle 22% versus last year.
“The single message
Chevrolet communicated this summer was ‘confidence’ and it rang true with customers when they saw how our product lineup is being transformed,” said Kurt McNeil, VP of U.S. sales
operations, in a statement.