Consumers appear to be more confident in the economy, and it showed in the salesrooms of American car companies last year.
Chrysler saw the biggest improvement, with sales up 26 percent over 2010.
The company says its Jeep Wrangler and Chrysler 200 sedan were the most popular of the 16 new or revamped models it rolled out.
Ford sales rose 11 percent, driven by demand for its trucks and SUVs.
General Motors reports a 14 percent increase for 2010 bolstered by its passenger car sales, including the new Cruze and Sonic.
Don Johnson is GM’s vice president for U.S. Sales Operations. He says the company predicts more growth next year, but is keeping an eye out for bumps in the road:
"Clearly we have to, as always, keep our eye on oil and gas prices, and on the political environment as we prepare for an election in November.”
Altogether, U.S. automakers sold nearly 6 million vehicles in 2011.
