As Dealerships Get More Stock, Auto Makers’ Sales Rebound in First Quarter

Car buyers are finally starting to see something they haven’t in a long time on dealership lots: more availability of cars and trucks.

Inventory levels for new vehicles, constrained through much of the pandemic due to supply-chain snarls, have begun to bounce back, leading many car companies to report higher U.S. auto sales in the first quarter. The strong results are a sign that the car sector is moving past some of the acute shortages that have dogged business in recent years.