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Hamilton County new vehicle sales roll on

A newly sold vehicle sits in the Kelly Subaru lot Tuesday afternoon. Automobile sales were up for 2011.
A newly sold vehicle sits in the Kelly Subaru lot Tuesday afternoon. Automobile sales were up for 2011. A newly sold vehicle sits in the Kelly Subaru lot Tuesday afternoon. Automobile sales were up for 2011.

By Mike Pare 2 min read

photo Cars tile

Bob Crates of Chattanooga said Monday his wife recently bought a new BMW sport utility vehicle, adding that the time had come to trade.

“Her car was 10 years old,” he said.

Buyers like Crates helped boost Hamilton County sales by 2.4 percent in July, with new vehicles registered rising to 1,190 in the month, according to the County Clerk’s Office.

Countrywide, July new-vehicle sales rose 5 percent to more than 1.5 million, Autodata Corp. reported, as the industry may be on track for its best year in a decade-and-a-half.

“The average age of vehicles on the road is also at a record 11.5 years, confirming plenty of pent-up demand remains,” said Karl Brauer, senior analyst for Kelley Blue Book, in a statement.