Chrysler Auto Sales Rise 20% in July

Gene J. Puskar/AP DETROIT -- said its U.S. July auto sales rose 20 percent and that it expected the industry to show an 8 percent increase for the month. Both figures were below analysts' estimates. Nine analysts surveyed by Reuters had expected gains of 25.5 percent for Chrysler and 11 percent for the industry. However, Chrysler said last month was its best July since 2005, with sales of 167,667 vehicles. Gains in U.S. auto sales have been stronger than the overall economy since the recession. Still, the monthly figures also provide an early glimpse into consumer spending. Auto sales dropped to a low of 10.4 million vehicles in 2009 and have risen steadily since, reaching 15.6 million vehicles last year. They are on a pace for about 16.4 million this year, in part because of easier credit and loans of up to 84 months. In a posting on Twitter, Hyundai Motor said its U.S. July sales rose 1.5 percent to 67,011 vehicles, an all-time record for that month. General Motors (GM), which reports sales later Friday morning, is expected to show a gain of 11 percent, according to the analysts surveyed by Reuters. This month Toyota Motor (TM) is expected to nudge Ford Motor (F) for the No. 2 sales spot, behind GM. Analysts expect Toyota sales to rise 11 percent and Ford's to increase 9 percent. Toyota topped Ford in U.S. sales in July 2013, but Ford has held second place for all of last year and so far this year. On Friday in Turin, Italy, where Chrysler parent Fiat is headquartered for now, shareholders are expected to approve a merger that will create Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, to be registered in the Netherlands. Fiat has relied on the resurgence of Chrysler in North America since the No. 3 U.S. automaker's 2009 government-sponsored bankruptcy as Europe's auto sales flagged. Sales of Chrysler's Jeep SUV brand, which Fiat Chrysler sees as a linchpin in its global growth, showed sales up 41 percent in July, while Ram truck sales rose 14 percent. Chrysler brand sales increased 17 percent, and Dodge brand sales were up 3 percent. MSRP: $26,495 Resale value retained after five years: 50.5 percent Even under Fiat (FIATY) ownership, some elements of Dodge's mouth-breathing, knuckle-dragging, He-Man-Woman-Haters-Club approach to auto sales managed to survive. The built-by-car-guys-for-car-guys Challenger and its rebooted muscle car aesthetic still lingers to lure meatheads who value racing stripes and rims over, oh, just about any other element of their vehicle. Ordinarily, that alone wouldn't make one of these vehicles worth a second look five years from now --  even among the most superficial gearheads. But Fiat helped the Challenger smarten up a little bit by coupling a 305-horsepower V6 engine or 375-horsepower 5.7-liter V8 Hemi with loads of interior space, real-time touchscreen navigation, traffic updates, Bluetooth connectivity,  Sirius (SIRI) XM satellite radio, keyless entry/starter and a whole lot of Harman Kardon audio upgrades.