(LATIMES) — With the presidential election and Superstorm Sandy behind them, car shoppers headed for dealer lots last month in the biggest numbers since early 2008.
Multiple brands, including Honda, Nissan, Hyundai and BMW, had their best Novembers ever last month. The import nameplates generally reported stronger gains than the domestic brands, helped by new products such as the new-generation Honda Accord and a new Nissan Pathfinder sport utility vehicle.
Automakers sold more than 1.1 million vehicles last month, a 15% gain over November 2011. Bolstered by shoppers replacing some of the 250,000 vehicles estimated to have been destroyed by Sandy, that translated into a seasonally adjusted annual rate of about 15.5 million, the highest since January 2008, according to industry research firm Autodata Corp.
