Toyota August Sales Crush Expectations

The big auto makers are announcing their August sales figures today.

Analysts are looking for unit sales to come in at an annualized rate of 15.8 million, up from 15.6 million in July.

Here's what we know so far:

• Chrysler: +12% (Est. +13%)
• Ford: +12% (Est. +10%)
• Toyota: +22.8% (Est. +15%)
• Nissan: +22.3% (Est. +17%)

"Stepped-up demand for trucks and crossover vehicles, combined with improved financing availability, likely propelled light vehicle sales 2.3% higher to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 16.1 million in August - the strongest unit-purchase level since November 2007," said Societe Generale's optimist Brian Jones.

The Analysts at Bank of America Merrill Lynch are a bit more guarded: "[I]nventory constraints may limit sales - some automakers reduced or canceled planned factory shutdowns in July in order to ramp up production."