DETROIT — Americans gave automakers a confidence boost in January. They bought more cars and trucks and showed a still-fragile industry that they were ready to replace their clunkers in 2011.
Sales were expected to total about 800,000 for the month. That’s still below pre-recession levels of 1 million or more, but better than last January’s sales of 698,000.
Nearly all big car companies reported double-digit gains for the month, a sign that the slow recovery in U.S. auto sales that began last year remains on track. While the recovery could falter if turmoil in the Middle East pushes up gas prices or unemployment stays high, the industry was happy with what it saw last month.
“January signals a good start to the year for us, for the industry, and we think it’s a good sign for the overall U.S. economy,” said Don Johnson, vice president of U.S. sales for General Motors.
Sales of recently redesigned sport utility vehicles such as the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ford Explorer were strong. People also snapped up the smaller Nissan Versa and Honda Fit. Pickups remained strong, as did crossovers.
