• by Karl Greenberg , September 4, 2012

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 off 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. 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. 

Chrysler Group posted a 14% increase in sales versus August last year. The company will launch a new ad campaign -- more on that later this week. All five Chrysler brands posted year-over-year sales gains with Fiat seeing a 34% increase. The automaker says August was its 29th month in a row of sales gains. 

American Honda today reported August 2012 U.S. sales of 131,321 units, an increase of 59.5% compared with August 2011 (an increase of 53.6% based on the daily selling rate*). The Honda Division posted August 2012 sales of 115,675 units, an increase of 57.9% compared with August 2011. Acura's U.S. August sales of 15,646 units increased 72.8% compared with August 2011.

Both Honda and Toyota are seeing big gains versus a somber 2011, when supply was decimated by events in Japan. Now Honda division says August saw 115,675 new vehicles delivered, making it the company's best August in the U.S. in two years.

Similarly, Toyota posted a 40.2% gain compared to the same period last year. The eponymous division saw a 47.5% gain versus the month a year ago.

Lexus division sales were up 33.9% compared to the same period last year.

“Virtually every Lexus model enjoyed a significant sales increase in August,” said Tim Morrison, Lexus vice president of sales and dealer development. “With a strong Labor Day weekend, and our newly launched products leading the way, the momentum continues into September.”