January auto sales: Ford up 22%, GM and Chrysler up 16%

Detroit's Big Three automakers Friday all posted double-digit U.S. sales gains for January, fueled by continued pent-up demand and a recovering economy.

Ford Motor Co. led the way, as its January sales shot up 21.8 percent as the Ford Fusion and Ford Escape both hit record January sales marks. Chrysler Group LLC's sales rose 16.4 percent, marking the Auburn Hills-based automaker's best January since 2008. And General Motors Co.'s sales of 194,699 vehicles jumped 15.9 percent in January, as all four of its brands posted strong sales gains over the same month in 2012.