ALAN PEAT IN SPITE of the full percentage point increase in interest rates this year, and more expensive vehicle financing, unit sales have continued to grow to a record high in August. According to the latest figures from the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of SA (Naamsa), although year-on-year (y/y) growth in percentage terms abated, largely due to high base effects of near 30% growth in August last year, the demand for new passenger and commercial vehicles continued to soar over the first eight months of 2006.