Analysts: Detroit automakers, industry to experience double-digit sales gains in April

Automakers, including the Detroit Three, are expected to sell more than 1.3 million vehicles this month, which would mark the best April sales in five years.

DETROIT- Analysts are predicting a pretty sunny forecast for U.S. vehicles sales in April.

Automakers, including the Detroit Three, are expected to sell more than 1.3 million vehicles this month, which would mark the best April sales in five years and a 10-11 percent increase from a year ago.

“We’re forecasting the best April car sales since 2007, and that’s consistent with the strong growth we’ve seen in the last several months,” said Edmunds.com senior analyst Jessica Caldwell, in a statement. “Sales are almost back to pre-recession levels, so as long as automakers keep reporting their best sales in at least five years, we’ll continue to be in good shape.”

Based on the expected sales, Edmunds.com, TrueCar.com and Kelley Blue Book all expect April new-car sales are on pace to remain above a 15 million unit annual selling pace for the sixth consecutive month.

For months, automotive industry analysts and experts have continued to say pent-up demand, low interest rates, cheap credit, new products and leasing are all driving consumers into dealerships.

Kelley Blue Book reports compact crossovers and full-size pickup trucks once again will lead year-over-year sales gains in April, with expected annual increases of 17.6 percent and 21.3 percent, respectively.

Of the Detroit Three, Ford Motor Co. is poised to post significant gains, with an increase of at least 15 percent, according to analysts.

“Ford is poised to post significant gains, with an increase of 15.3 percent because of strong demand for the Fusion and Focus, both of which improved sales by more than 20 percent in the first quarter,” said Alec Gutierrez, senior market analyst of automotive insights for Kelley Blue Book, in a release.

The Dearborn-based automaker’s crosstown rivals General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group LLC are also expected to achieve double-digit growths from April 2012, but not as much as Ford.

Through the first quarter of 2013, U.S. auto industry sales were near 3.7 million units, a 6 percent increase from the same time last year.

Jesse Toprak, senior analyst for TrueCar.com, expects sales to continue strong through this year.

“Relatively lower gas prices coupled with small business demand improving for trucks resulted

in a strong showing for small and large pickups in April, a trend we expect to see strengthen even further for the rest of 2013,” he said in a release.

Most analysts and experts predict 2013 U.S. vehicles sales to come in at around 15.5 million units, 1 million more than last year.

Automakers, including the Detroit Three, are scheduled to release their April sales on Wednesday.