November auto sales in the US posted the best monthly sales rate since the anomalous surge in Aug 2009, related to the federal government’s Cash-for-Clunkers program. Industry sales rose by 14 percent overall in the month, to about 994K units, propelled by broader availability of vehicles to meet American consumers’ “pent-up demand,” some signs of collective economic confidence and continued moderation in gasoline prices and interest rates. Black Friday and the accompanying shopping mania across the United States likely even contributed. The Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate (S.A.A.R.) of sales for the month was 13.6 million.
