Chrysler says sales rise 7 percent on demand for many of its cars

Chrysler says sales rise 7 percent over July

DETROIT — Chrysler Group LLC says its August sales rose 7 percent over July as many of its models saw gains.

The automaker’s sales also increased 7 percent over August of 2009. But last year the company was just restarting factories after closing them during its stay in bankruptcy court.

Chrysler got only a small sales boost last August from the government’s Cash for Clunkers program. That program offered up to $4,500 in rebates for people to trade in older cars and trucks for more fuel-efficient models.

Sales of the new Jeep Grand Cherokee nearly doubled over July.