In the ten-month period, auto sales reached 10.9 million units, up 37.7 percent from the same period last year, says CAAM in a statement. The figure includes 8.2 million light vehicles. 

In October, auto sales across China totaled 1.2 million units, surging 72.5 percent year-on-year. 

CAAM expects auto sales to remain robust for the rest of this year as the fourth quarter is traditionally the peak auto sales season in China. 

At a media briefing organized on Monday in Beijing, Dong Yang, CAAM's deputy secretary said it is reasonable to expect auto sales in 2010 to exceed 13 million units.

Affected by the global economic recession, China's auto sales in 2008 only increased 6.7 percent on an annual basis, to 9.4 million units. 

But thanks to a series of market-stimulating policies enacted late last year, auto sales resumed strong growth in March this year.