Solid gains for automakers

Ford sales were up 7 percent in December and 19 percent on the year. GM was up 7.5 percent in December and 6.3 percent for the year. Chrysler was up 16 percent and 17 percent. Industrywide, it's looking like around 11.5 million vehicles were sold in 2010, an 11 percent increase from the previous year. From the LAT:

Although a large improvement from the recession-depressed level of 2009, last year's sales still were the second lowest since 1982, when Americans purchased just 10.5 million vehicles. From 1999 through 2007, the auto industry sold 16 million to more than 17 million vehicles annually.

But the numbers have been trending up over the last few months - and that's without major incentive deals. Expectations for the new year are running around 13.5 million. "The consumer is coming back to the showrooms, particularly in the more affluent and higher quality credit segments," analyst Brian Johnson wrote in a note to clients (via the NYT).