Automakers enjoyed their best October since 2007, with U.S. auto sales rising about 8 percent from last October to 1.02 million, according to Autodata Corp. The automotive data source added that sales are back on the pace set at the start of the year, before the supply issues caused by the Japanese earthquake and tsunami. The thought is that consumers who put off buying new vehicles this summer because of supply issues returned to the market in October. And those that did were interested in larger vehicles, according to manufacturer data. Here’s a look at sales by manufacturer for October:

Audi: Audi of America reported October sales of 10,225 units, representing a 25.8 percent increase vs. last year. The company attributes the increase to consumer response to the 2012 Audi A6 and the 2012 Audi A7. Sales of the Audi TT and Audi A5 performed also were up, 133.7 percent and 21.5 percent, respectively. Year-to-date sales for Audi increased 16.5 percent to 95,206 units.

BMW: BMW Group sales totaled 27,288 vehicles for the month, an increase of 17.5 percent from October 2010. Sales of BMW brand vehicles totaled 21,873 vehicles, marking a 13.5 increase vs. last year. MINI USA sales were up 37.1 percent from the 3,950 units sold in October 2010. MINI’s Countryman model recorded its best month ever at 2,012 units sold.

Chrysler: Chrysler Group LLC reported U.S. sales of 114,512, a 27 percent increase vs. October 2010 (90,137 units). This marked the best October for the company since 2007. Models that significantly contributed to the group’s sales increase were the Chrysler 200, Jeep Compass, Jeep Liberty, Dodge Journey, Dodge Avenger and the Ram pickup truck. October also marks the 19^th consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains for the group.

Ford: Ford Motor Company’s October U.S. sales increased 6 percent to 167,803 vehicles vs. last year. Gains came largely from Ford brand utilities, up 38 percent, and strong truck sales, up 8 percent vs. last year. Explorer sales were up 225 percent while F-Series sales topped 50,000 for the second consecutive month. Ford brand car sales totaled 576,994 through October, an 18 percent increase vs. the year-ago period.

General Motors: The company reported total sales of 186,895 vehicles in October, up 2 percent vs. October 2010. Retail deliveries were up 3 percent vs. last year and accounted for 77 percent of GM sales. Chevrolet dealers delivered more than 1,100 Volts, the vehicle's best month to date. The Chevrolet Equinox, Camaro, Express, Cadillac SRX, Buick Regal and GMC Terrain all experienced double-digit sales increases for the month.

Honda: American Honda Motor Co. posted October sales of 98,333 vehicles, an increase of 3.3 percent vs. the year-ago period. Honda Division posted October sales of 87,218, an increase of 3.2 percent vs. October 2010, while Honda trucks posted October sales of 44,852, an 12.3 percent increase. Company officials attributed the increase to strong sales of the Pilot, CR-V and Odyssey. The Acura Division recorded October sales of 11,115, an increase of 4.8 percent vs. October 2010. The MDX was the top-selling Acura model for the month, with October sales of 3,691.

Hyundai: Hyundai Motor America reported sales of 52,402 vehicles in October, a 23 percent increase vs. last year. Year to date, Hyundai sales are up 21 percent vs. 2010, and up 31 percent at retail. The Santa Fe and Tucson, Hyundai’s crossover line-up, registered sales increases of 44 and 24 percent, respectively, while the Elantra realized a sales increase of 37 percent vs. the year-ago period.

Mazda: Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) recorded its best October sales in the U.S. since 2007, with 18,326 vehicles delivered. This represented an increase of 1.7 percent vs. October 2010. On a daily selling rate (DSR) basis, Mazda’s October 2011 sales increased 5.7 percent. Year-to-date sales increased 8.7 percent vs. last year. MNAO also reported that the Mazda6, CX-7 and Mazda2 models experienced increases of 38.8 percent, 13 percent and 51.7 percent, respectively.

Mercedes-Benz: Mercedes-Benz USA posted October sales of 24,449 vehicles, a 28.2 percent improvement vs. October 2010 (19,076). This marked the company's highest October sales volume on record. Top performers for the month were the C-Class and E-Class model lines, with the C-Class recording an 87.9 percent increase in sales vs. October 2010. On a year-to-date basis, the 206,632 vehicles sold represent a 12 percent increase compared to the year-ago period.

Nissan: Nissan North America Inc. reported October U.S. sales of 82,346 units, an increase of 18 percent vs. last year. Nissan Division sales set a new October record, increasing 22.1 percent for the month to 75,484 units, while sales of Infiniti vehicles decreased 13.5 percent from the prior year to 6,862 units. Nissan Altima sales continued to be strong, with 21,838 units sold for an increase of 15.1 percent vs. last year. Infiniti G Sedan sales also were up, experiencing a 10.1 percent increase year over year to 2,986 units sold

Toyota: Toyota Motor Sales (TMS) USA Inc. reported October sales of 134,046 units, a decrease of 4.3 percent vs. last year on a daily selling rate (DSR) basis. On a raw volume basis, TMS sales were down 7.8 percent from the year-ago month. Toyota Division posted October total sales of 115,954 units, a decrease of 3.2 percent on a DSR basis, while the Lexus Division reported total sales of 18,092 units, a decrease of 10.9 percent.

Volkswagen: Volkswagen of America Inc. reported its best October sales since 2001, with 28,028 units sold in October 2011. This represented a 39.6 percent increase from the year-ago period. Passat sales totaled 5,040 units sold for the month — the best month for Passat sales since December 2005. The 2012 Beetle posted sales of 1,516 units, while Jetta sales totaled 13,058 units. The GTI (up 32.8 percent), Golf (up 34.3 percent), Touareg (up 204.6 percent) and Tiguan (up 18.4 percent) all experienced year-over-year increases as well.