MichiganRadio

Chrysler sales up for August; GM and Ford sales down ANN ARBOR, MI (Michigan Radio) - Vehicle sales skyrocketed this time last year, thanks to the federal government's "cash for clunkers" program.

But this August, there were no incentives from the Fed, and Ford posted an 11 percent drop in auto sales compared to last year. So did GM's four core brands.

Rebecca Lindland calls it the hangover effect. She's an auto analyst with IHS Automotive:

"When we look at the results that we're seeing, we're definitely paying for the party last year."

Honda and Toyota also posted over 30 percent declines in US auto sales.

Chrysler bucked the trend with a seven percent increase in sales compared to last year.

While there's nothing to be excited about with the latest numbers, Rebecca Lindland says there's no reason to panic, either. She says sales numbers for the year show that the industry is headed in the right direction for a recovery albeit at a very slow pace.

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