DETROIT — Black Friday promotions and falling gas prices drove U.S. auto sales higher in November, kicking off what’s expected to be a strong holiday season.

Chrysler’s sales were up 20 percent to nearly 171,000 vehicles, helping the company to its best November in 13 years. General Motors, Toyota and Volkswagen also reported gains.

Ford’s sales fell 2 percent as it lost critical truck sales. Its new F-150 didn’t arrive at dealerships until the very end of the month. Nissan also reported lower sales as its Infiniti luxury brand struggled.