U.S. Auto Sales Spurt 18%

Fueled by cut-rate financing and rebates, mid-January sales of domestic cars soared to the highest level in 13 years and beat last year’s robust showing by 18.1%, the seven major auto makers reported today.

The companies reported sales of 199,246 cars in the Jan. 11-20 period, compared with last year’s 168,668. The sales rate for the period came to an average 24,906 deliveries a day in eight official selling days, the best since 27,913 a day in 1973.