According to a new auto sales report Americans have been buying more cars this summer. Honda saw one of the biggest growths with a 60% increase.

Local dealers like Gary Force Honda say last year's tsunami in Japan played a key role.

"Our inventory about 60 days after the tsunami and the earthquake hit dropped off to nothing where as we should have 130 to 150 vehicles in inventory we had about 25 to 30," says Tim Kanaly, president of Gary Force Honda.

Sales at Gary Force have jumped 25% due to larger inventory and from local consumers anxious to buy.

"We see a lot of confidence in the people of Warren County and the surrounding counties it seems like everyone feels better about the way things are going and overall its really been positive this year so far," says Kanaly.

Honda wasn't the only manufacturer to see an increase. General Motors sales rose 10% nationally.

Leachman Buick GMC says the spike in sales are from consumers who were weary of buying after the 2008 economic woes.

"We sell new General Motors products that are in higher demand than they ever have been so it's not really geared toward fuel economy or any one specific item I think it's just pent up demand," says David Jaggers, General Manager of Leachman Buick GMC.

Sales at Leachman are up 17%, while it's not the same sales figures from before 2008 they are hopeful for continued growth.

"Well we anticipate quite a bit more growth. We are about to do a major expansion on our dealership in anticipation of that, but they still haven't reached the levels of 2005 which was one of the best years in the car business," says Jaggers.

Overall local dealers say South Central Kentucky has fared well in car sales compared to numbers from other regions.