AutoNation Sales Drop in August, but Group Notches Gain in Domestic Ops

Though AutoNation’s car sales slipped 3 percent year-over-year in August as import sales slid double-digits, the dealership group said it saw improvement in its domestic operating segment.

Specifically, sales for Big 3 brands came in at 5,788 units for the month, a 7-percent gain from August 2010. Overall, AutoNation’s dealers sold 18,121 new cars in August, which was 3 percent softer than the year-ago period.

Amid overall industry challenges still lingering from the Japanese disasters, AutoNation’s import sales fell 10 percent, coming in at 8,996 sales.

Meanwhile, the company’s premium luxury business unit was up 3 percent with 3,337 units sold.