U.S. Auto Sales Up, But Not for Good Ol' Government Motors

Japanese automakers see big gains.

U.S. auto sales in July rose 9%, as Ford and GM sales slipped while Japanese competitors posed big gains.

Overall, sales rose 9%, even though July 2012 had two fewer selling days than July 2011. Both Ford and GM attributed their sales declines primarily to seasonal slowdowns in fleet sales, although their retail sales also slowed, reflecting primarily a surge in sales by Japanese automakers, led by a 45% gain at Honda and a 26% gain at Toyota. Nissan sales rose 16%.