UPDATE 1-Chrysler top Canadian car seller in Feb; Ford sales up

TORONTO, March 1 (Reuters) - Chrysler Canada recorded a 2 percent rise in Canadian vehicle sales last month, selling the most vehicles in any February since 2000 and extending its streak of year-over-year gains to 39 consecutive months.

Chrysler sold 16,832 vehicles in February, up from 16,536 for the same period a year before. Car sales were up 16 percent from February 2012, while trucks were down 0.6 percent.

Chrysler, majority-owned by Fiat SpA, said the Chrysler 200, Dodge Avenger, Fiat 500 and Dodge Dart helped fuel the passenger car sales. The company's Ram pickup truck was the No. 2 best-selling vehicle in Canada.

Ford Motor Co of Canada posted a 5 percent rise in February sales, bolstered by its car sales, and saw its best performance for that month in seven years.

Ford sold 16,301 vehicles in February, up from 15,461 for the same period a year ago. Car sales climbed 13 percent, while truck sales were up a little over 3 percent.

In the United States, pent-up demand for new cars and trucks boosted monthly auto sales, with February figures showing automakers were on track to beat analyst estimates.