Austin auto sales rev engines in 2013

AUSTIN – Auto sales remained a bright spot for Austin’s economy in 2013. Austin-area auto sales rose more than 14 percent last year, a sign that Central Texas consumers remain confident.

Area dealers sold 120,660 new vehicles in 2013, compared with 105,448 in 2012, according to Freeman Auto Report, a Dallas-based company that tracked sales in Travis, Williamson, Hays, Bastrop, Burnet, Blanco and Caldwell counties.

For Austin consumers, Ford pickups were the most popular vehicle in 2013, with 12,118 sold.

Auto sales are considered a key economic indicator, because they are big-ticket purchases that are dependent on consumer confidence.

As for Austin, economists and dealers say there’s little reason to think that the strong numbers won’t continue in 2014.

Read more at the Austin American-Statesman.