Auto News 5

Robust construction activity helped drive pickup sales higher -- up by 24% over last year -- which in turn helped propel overall auto sales beyond even the sunny expectations of industry watchers. The suddenly booming housing market is only the most obvious sign of increased economic activity. New-car buyers shrugged off a dip on Wall Street, and flocked to dealerships. Overall new vehicle sales jumped 9% compared with the previous June, reaching their most torrid pace of 2013, an annualized selling rate of nearly 16 million units. That number hasn’t been seen -- or even fantasized about -- since 2007. Better still for the auto industry, consumers are paying more for cars, as they gravitate toward feature-loaded models. Incentives, meanwhile, are down.