BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. -

As first-quarter earnings reports pour in from dealer groups, record profits have been reported, and the new-vehicle market also appears strong. Amid this strength, several retailers also offered a glimpse at how the used-side of their respective operations are faring.

Penske Automotive, for example, had quite the strong first quarter in its used-car business, increasing used retail sales by more than 26 percent. Overall, Penske moved 38,373 used retail units, compared to 30,299 used vehicles in the same period of 2011. This led to used revenue of $969.7 million, up from $791.7 million in the first quarter of 2011.

All this was part of the most profitable first quarter ever for Penske.

Over at AutoNation, the retailer achieved its best-ever quarter for earnings per share from continuing operations and reported that the used-car side of its business was quite strong.

Used revenue came in at $918.8 million, up from $831.4 million in the year-ago period. Used retail revenue, specifically, was at $801.1 million, up 10.1 percent year-over-year.

AutoNation sold 46,116 used retail units during the period, up 9.6 percent from the first quarter of 2011.

Continuing on, Lithia Motors achieved a 24.9-percent uptick in used retail revenue, as it pulled in $195.4 million. Used retail sales totaled 11,508 units for a 21.1-percent gain.