Nearing pre-recession levels, new vehicle registrations in Hamilton County jumped 53 percent in April over the same month last year.
"We're seeing the car business begin to turn around," said Ed Emerson, Capital Toyota's sales manager.
The number of new vehicles titled, which is closely linked to sales, rose to 900 in April, according to the Hamilton County Clerk's Office. In April 2007 before the recession hit, registrations were 1,167, figures show.
Clay Watson, president of Mountain View Ford Lincoln Mercury, said there's a lot of pent-up demand. He also cited new Ford vehicles which the automaker is bringing to the marketplace.
Danny Jackson, dealer for Walter Jackson Chevrolet in Ringgold, Ga., said April was up over sales a year ago at his store.
"We're getting a lot more floor traffic," he said. "Consumer confidence is back in GM."
Hamilton County registrations in April also were up from March. That counters national figures in which April sales were off 8 percent from March's.
U.S. sales for April came in almost at 1 million vehicles, up 20 percent from a year ago, according to figures. But sales were shy of forecasts of between a 21 percent to 23 percent gain.
Mr. Watson said the market, while improving, still hasn't recovered.
"It's premature to say we're getting back to the same," he said. "It's definitely headed in the right direction."
Brian Duke, inventory control manager at Al Johnson Volkswagen in Dalton, Ga., said used vehicle sales were higher last month, though its new-car numbers "slacked off a little bit."
Chris Barrett, of Powder Springs, Ga., said outside the Tennessee Aquarium on Monday that low financing interests him. But he said he probably won't buy a new car this year.
John Layman, of Atlanta, said he plans to keep his car.
Still, Mr. Emerson said his store did 108 percent of the objective Toyota set for the dealership for April.
He said the Japanese automaker is continuing to offer incentives "never seen in the history of Toyota."
NEW VEHICLES: Monthly registrations so far this year in Hamilton County:
January: 736
February: 593
March: 874
April: 900
Source: Hamilton County Clerk's Office