Chrysler's big sales month

The kick-me automaker was the star in August's otherwise dismal auto sales reports. The company reported a 7 percent increase, while sales at the other carmakers tumbled badly: Down 34 percent at Toyota, 33 percent at Honda, 25 percent at GM, and 11 percent ar Ford. So what's with Chrysler? From 24/7 Wall Street:

It is difficult to account for the gain in Chrysler's sales. Some of it may be the law of small numbers. It is easier to show an increase off the very modest sales Chrysler had in August of last year. It sold only 90,000 cars and light trucks that month. Chrysler also does not seem to have benefited from the "cash for clunkers" program because buyers probably switched from used Chrysler cars to other brands. The company was already considered a maker of vehicles that public did not like and people who owned its cars did not want to keep them. That means its sales were not distorted as much by the federal government as were results from other companies.

Not to bust the bubble, but Chrysler's 7 percent increase was actually below what some analysts had expected. So it's good news, in a disappointing sort of way.