Despite a double-digit drop in retail sales to individual consumers, DaimlerChrysler AG’s Chrysler Group reported a 119 percent surge in sales to corporate and rental fleets in October, which accounted for 40 percent if its total sales, according to the Associated Press. Gary Dilts, Chrysler’s senior vice president of sales, said that the surge made October Chrysler’s best fleet sales month ever. The company's fleet sales mirrored an industry-wide trend in October that saw auto sales rates sink to its lowest level in seven years, with sales to fleets actually providing a boost to those numbers. Industry analysts say automakers have been trying to reduce their fleet business because fleet cars sell at a lower price, which hurts resale values.
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