RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: NPR's business news starts with car sales accelerating.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: The Wall Street Journal is reporting that buyers picked up new vehicles at a pace not seen since before the recession. According to the paper, Americans bought 1.5 million vehicles last month - about 17 percent up from a year ago.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: Low interest rates and continued job growth were primary drivers. Automakers have added work shifts and production capacity to keep up with demand.
New car sales jumped 17 percent to 1.5 million in August, their highest level in more than six years. Toyota, Ford, Nissan, Honda, Chrysler and General Motors all posted double-digit gains over last August.