(AP) -- General Motors Co.'s U.S. sales rose 7 percent in November, a sign the auto industry had a strong month.

The company sold just over 180,000 cars and trucks. GM was led by the Chevrolet Cruze. Sales of the compact car rose 4 percent. The company also reported strong pickup sales, with the Chevy Silverado up 34 percent.

GM is among the first companies to report U.S. auto sales on Thursday. Industry analysts expect November to be the strongest month of the year when projected at an annual rate and adjusted for seasonal factors. They say people are finally starting to get rid of their old cars and trucks.

The Polk research firm says the average age of a vehicle in the U.S. is now a record 10.6 years.

Chrysler says its U.S. sales jumped 45 percent last month thanks to strong demand for the Jeep brand.

The company was among the first to report November sales Thursday.

Industry analysts expect November to be one of the strongest months of the year for the auto industry. They say people are finally starting to get rid of their old cars and trucks.

Chrysler sold 107,172 new cars and trucks last month compared with 74,152 a year earlier. Jeep sales rose 44 percent on strong demand for the Compass crossover and the Liberty small SUV.

Higher incentives in November also brought buyers into showrooms. TrueCar.com says Chrysler's incentives rose 6 percent from October to nearly $3,300 per vehicle.

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