Year over Year, auto sales are looking good. Most of this is due to the comparison off of a low base. I other words, we are looking at the data from some of the worst times of 2009 and comparing it to those of today. While this is a good start, the rate is still off of the 15 million average annual over the past number of years. Still, many are predicting that we will get there this year.

Hope or Hype?

A few additional data points:

• Car Sales: FORD Walloped them: 43% up YOY
• Chrysler beat analysts‘ average projection for a decline of 18 percent
• Honda rose 13 percent to 80,671 vehicles.
• GM‘s had a 12 percent sales gain
• Nissan sales climbed 29 percent to 70,189,
• Hyundai reported February sales rose 11 percent
• Toyota reported a 10 percent drop

**Combined sales for Asia-based auto brands rose 7.3 percent to 349,489 last month. That was fewer than the 368,685 vehicles GM, Ford and Chrysler combined to sell in February.