A sharp rise in automobile sales pushed up US retail spending by 1.4 percent in October, government data showed Monday in a positive sign for an economy heavily dependent on consumer activity. The Commerce Department said overall retail sales rebounded from a 2.3 percent slide in September, in data made volatile by the government's 'cash for clunkers' program that boosted sales in August, resulting in a sharp drop the following month. Excluding autos and auto parts, retail spending was up 0.2 percent in the month, the data showed. The report showed a stronger than an expected 0.9 percent rise for the overall index, but excluding autos was weaker than the consensus estimate of a 0.4 percent gain. Over a 12-month period, sales were down 1.7 percent compared with October 2008. 'Performance varied widely across segments from sharp declines at building supply and furniture stores to large gains at restaurants and nonstore retailers,' said Scott Hoyt at Moody's Economy.com. 'There was a large downward revision to September growth, largely from lower auto sales.' 