DENVER (AP) -- Vehicle sales in Colorado continued their strong pace in November, increasing 13.3 percent from the same time last year.

The Colorado Automobile Dealers Association says that for the first 11 months of the year, new vehicle registrations are up 22.1 percent compared to the prior year. That puts the state ahead of the national average increase of 13.9 percent through November.

Tim Jackson, the association's president, tells The Denver Post (http://bit.ly/U6dCGv ) the sales increase is due to a combination of manufacturer incentives, low-rate loans, easier access to credit, lease and finance promotions and gains in fuel efficiency.