Ford And Chrysler Lead The Way As US March Auto Sales Figures Come In

March U.S. auto sales are being released throughout the day.

Analysts estimate a seasonally-adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of sales of 15.4 million units, which compares to 14.1 million a year ago.

"Expect a good month with a forecasted March SAAR of 15.3 million," said Citi's Itay Michaeli. "We expect full-size pickup truck sales to rise 15-20%, outpacing the industry."

So far the numbers are looking encouraging:

• Ford: +5.7 percent, estimate +4.4 percent
• GM: +6.4 percent, est. +12.0 percent
• Chrysler: +5 percent, est. +3.0 percent
• Toyota: +1 percent, est. +1.6 percent
• Nissan/Infiniti: +1 percent, est. -2.1 percent
• Volkswagon: +3.1 percent, est. n/a