AutoNation's new vehicle sales jump 38 percent in June, stoked by gains for Toyota post-tsunami

Fort Lauderdale-based AutoNation, the country's largest vehicle retailer, reported a 38 percent jump in sales of new cars and trucks in June compared to a year ago.

That's faster growth than the 22 percent gain in retail sales of new vehicles nationwide for the month, according to researcher Auto Data.

AutoNation Chief Executive Mike Jackson calls auto sales "a bright spot in the U.S. economic recovery," spurred partly by pent-up demand from the recession and by new fuel-efficient models.

Read more at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.