May 21 (Reuters) - AutoZone ( AZO ) beat estimates for

third-quarter profit on Tuesday, driven by strong demand for

automotive parts as more Americans held on to their ageing cars

amid higher prices and wait times for newer models.

Quarterly net sales at the auto parts supplier, which

competes with Advance Auto Parts ( AAP ) and O'Reilly Automotive

, rose 3.5% to about $4.24 billion.

Analysts on average were expecting AutoZone ( AZO ) to report

third-quarter net sales of $4.29 billion.

On an adjusted basis, the company earned $36.69 per share in

the quarter ended May 4, compared with analysts estimates of

$35.96 per share, according to LSEG data.

However, domestic same-store sales in the quarter remained

flat from a year earlier.

(Reporting by Nathan Gomes in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil

D'Silva)