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Business Title: Best February Auto Sales In Years Car sales were on pace for their best month in four years in February, despite the gas price spike. NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Higher gas prices did not scare consumers away from auto dealerships last month. On Thursday, General Motors (GM, Fortune 500), Ford Motor (F, Fortune 500) and Chrysler Group all reported improved February sales, with both fuel efficient models and large trucks posting big gains. Analysts are forecasting the best month for auto sales in four years in February, and the results from the U.S. automakers are a good start for the industry to hit those targets. Other automakers such as Toyota Motor (TM) are due to report results later Thursday. Industry experts and industry executives said the U.S. automakers are far better prepared for the current gas price spike than they were four years ago, with far more high-mileage offerings. "What a difference four years and a change in product lines make," said Michelle Krebs, senior analyst with Edmunds.com. But U.S. automakers still sell more far more trucks than fuel efficient cars, and overall sales would have be far weaker without strong demand for trucks, which typically take a sales hit with gas price spikes. GM attributed the strong demand to an improved jobs picture and better credit availability, coupled with improvement in the housing market and consumer confidence helped to lift demand even in the face of higher gas prices. Special report: Gas prices Sales at GM were up only 1.1%, but that was far better than the forecast decline at the No. 1 automaker. The comparisons were also to a particularly strong sales month a year ago for GM. The plug-in electric Chevrolet Volt, the company's highest profile high-mileage car, enjoyed a 70% jump from January's sales total, and more than tripled year-earlier sales when the model was still in the process of being rolled out. But the company also reported increases of between 20% and 28% for its heavy-duty pickup models. Ford, the No. 2 automaker in terms of U.S. sales, reported a 14.4% increase in sales. It was helped by a 114% jump in sales of the compact Focus, the company's key fuel-efficient offering. But truck sales also posted a 20.6% rise, led by a 25.9% increase in sales for the full-size F-series pickup truck. Ford spokesman Erich Merkle said demand for more fuel-efficient models picked up as the month progressed. He said that the company also saw strong demand for the more fuel-efficient offerings within each model, such as a six-cylinder version of the F-150 pickup rather than the eight-cylinder model. Chrysler Group reported its best February sales since 2008, up 40% compared to a year ago. The Fiat 500 subcompact car, the company's most fuel-efficient offering, had its best sales month since the relaunch of the brand last year. But it also reported good sales for its Jeep and Ram truck brands, with sales of the Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV jumping 47%, while the full-size Ram pick-up truck posted a 22% gain. Gas prices climbed throughout most of February, gaining 8% for the month and lifting pump prices to record highs for this time of year.
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