Canadian auto sales rise 6.2 per cent from June

In this Wednesday, April 26, 2017, photo, cars are lined up in the lot of a Chevrolet dealership in Richmond, Va. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Steve Helber

TORONTO — Auto sales continued their upward trend in July, mounting a steadier recovery from the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

DesRosiers Automotive Consultants Inc. says 165,020 autos were sold in July, up 6.2 per cent from June.

The consultancy says in its monthly report that the numbers are 4.9 per cent below the same month last year, but nonetheless mark the seventh best July in Canadian automotive history.

The auto industry's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and shutdown appears to have tapered.

DesRosiers notes that after a "brutal" collapse in April, sales jumped 147 per cent and 37.3 per cent in each of the following months, and continued to gain in July.

While auto sales made a "strong" showing, the consultants noted it's still unclear how much of the momentum is driven by buyers who have been holding off since spring, when dealerships were in a holding pattern due to COVID-19 restrictions.