Wrong data on last chart
<IMG SRC=http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/graph/fredgraph.png?&id=UNRATE,ALTSALES&scale=Left,Right&range=Custom,Max&cosd=1976-01-01,1976-01-01&coed=2012-09-01,2012-09-01&line_color=%230000ff,%23ff0000&link_values=false,false&line_style=Solid,Solid&mark_type=NONE,NONE&mw=4,4&lw=1,1&ost=-99999,-99999&oet=99999,99999&mma=0,0&fml=-a,a&fq=Monthly,Monthly&fam=avg,avg&fgst=lin,lin&transformation=lin,lin&vintage_date=2012-10-22,2012-10-22&revision_date=2012-10-22,2012-10-22>
Same thing but maybe this is a little bit clearer:
<IMG SRC=http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/graph/fredgraph.png?&id=ALTSALES,UNRATE&scale=Right,Left&range=Max,Custom&cosd=1976-01-01,1976-01-01&coed=2012-09-01,2012-09-01&line_color=%230000ff,%23ff0000&link_values=false,false&line_style=Solid,Solid&mark_type=NONE,NONE&mw=4,4&lw=1,1&ost=-99999,-99999&oet=99999,99999&mma=0,0&fml=a,a&fq=Monthly,Monthly&fam=avg,avg&fgst=lin,lin&transformation=lin,lin&vintage_date=2012-10-22,2012-10-22&revision_date=2012-10-22,2012-10-22>
Excluding the 2001 recession, it appears that auto and light truck sales lead the unemployment rate; auto sales bottom before the rate tops and vice versa.