Article updated: 2/1/2013 1:29 PM

U.S.-based automakers, Toyota report big sales gains

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Chevy trucks line the lot of a dealer in Murrysville, Pa. Ford, Chrysler and General Motors all reported double-digit gains for January as last year's momentum in U.S. auto sales continued into 2013.

Associated Press

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American consumers ignored tax increases and tromped through the winter chill to buy new cars and trucks at an unusually strong pace last month. "(January) was like a sprinter out of the starting blocks," said Mike Jackson, CEO of AutoNation Inc., the country's largest auto dealership chain. Analysts said it will likely be the best January in five years once all automakers report. Sales at Toyota rose 27 percent, and they were up 22 percent at Ford. GM and Chrysler each reported 16 percent gains compared with a year earlier.