DETROIT (AP) -- New car models and Labor Day promotions drew Americans to showrooms in September, but not enough to put much fire back into overall auto sales.
Sales at Chrysler Group LLC and Ford Motor Co. rose slightly from August. They fell at General Motors Co. and were flat at Toyota Motor Corp. Car companies say a recovery is progressing, but it's not as strong as they had hoped following a terrible 2009.
September had the uneven sales that have plagued the industry all year. The month started strong thanks to Labor Day promotions, but sales tapered off until the final weekend, when new models and clearance sales on 2010 models again piqued buyers' interest.
Among the winners: Redesigned crossovers, which are SUVs on car frames, saw big jumps across the industry. Sales of the new 2011 Ford Edge, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Toyota RAV4 doubled, while General Motors' GMC Terrain surged. Ford's new Fiesta subcompact also did well.
Sales rose significantly from last September, but that was expected. The government's Cash for Clunkers rebate program, which ran during the summer of 2009, drew buyers who otherwise would have waited until later in the year.
Of more concern were sales compared with August, which was one of the weakest on record.
Ford, whose sales rose 2 percent from August and 46 percent from last September, says it's expecting the industry to see modest sales increases for the remainder of the year. Others in the industry echoed that prediction.
"We're not going to bust loose as you sometimes see after a downturn, but we'll see steady growth," said Don Johnson, GM's vice president of U.S. sales.
Chrysler, which has struggled all year, saw September sales rise slightly from August and 61 percent from last September. GM'S sales fell about 6 percent from August. Sales rose 10.5 percent over last September.
Sales at Chrysler Group LLC and Ford Motor Co. rose slightly from August. They fell at General Motors Co. and were flat at Toyota Motor Corp. Car companies say a recovery is progressing, but it's not as strong as they had hoped following a terrible 2009.
September had the uneven sales that have plagued the industry all year. The month started strong thanks to Labor Day promotions, but sales tapered off until the final weekend, when new models and clearance sales on 2010 models again piqued buyers' interest.
Among the winners: Redesigned crossovers, which are SUVs on car frames, saw big jumps across the industry. Sales of the new 2011 Ford Edge, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Toyota RAV4 doubled, while General Motors' GMC Terrain surged. Ford's new Fiesta subcompact also did well.
Sales rose significantly from last September, but that was expected. The government's Cash for Clunkers rebate program, which ran during the summer of 2009, drew buyers who otherwise would have waited until later in the year.
Of more concern were sales compared with August, which was one of the weakest on record.
Ford, whose sales rose 2 percent from August and 46 percent from last September, says it's expecting the industry to see modest sales increases for the remainder of the year. Others in the industry echoed that prediction.
"We're not going to bust loose as you sometimes see after a downturn, but we'll see steady growth," said Don Johnson, GM's vice president of U.S. sales.
Chrysler, which has struggled all year, saw September sales rise slightly from August and 61 percent from last September. GM'S sales fell about 6 percent from August. Sales rose 10.5 percent over last September.
