The U.S. automotive industry is set to end what has otherwise been a dreary 2009 on a positive note, with a report from J.D. Power and Associates projecting a 15 percent increase in revenues from last December. According to Automotive News, this would mark the biggest year-over-year sales increase for any month in 2009.

“The market is continuing to improve, with the relative strength of December sales supporting a year-end rally,” Gary Dilts, senior vice president of global automotive op

erations at J.D. Power, said in a statement.

Based on the first 17 days of the month, total December sales are projected at 1.03 million vehicles, up from 895,152 a year earlier. J.D. Power expects December retail sales to jump 20 percent to 83

9,600. Fleet sales should drop by 2.5 percent, or 5,000 vehicles.

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