Buyers of new cars and trucks in Hamilton County steered sales to their best mark in five years in 2012, despite a fall-off in November and December.
Year-end figures show a 13.1 percent jump in new vehicles titled last year over 2011 to 12,386, according to the Hamilton County Clerk’s Office.
Dealers expect the sales recovery to continue in 2013 as they try to return to prerecession levels in spite of political maneuvering in Washington, D.C., over spending cuts and taxes.
“The country seems determined to take the Band-Aid off a little bit at a time,” said Joe Kirby, owner of Adventure Mazda in downtown Chattanooga.
Corey Choate, Economy Honda’s general manager, said its new car and truck sales last year rose 30 percent and hit an all-time high for the store.