General Motors on July 1 posted a weaker than expected 10.7% increase in June U.S. sales to 195,380 vehicles, down from May's stronger performance.
Sales of GM's four "core brands" -- Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac and GMC -- were up 36% from a year earlier, marking the sixth consecutive month of sales growth of 20% or more.
GM said retail sales were up 17% in June, the ninth consecutive months of retail sales growth.
Sales of four GM brands in the process of being sold or eliminated -- Hummer, Pontiac, Saab and Saturn -- were down 98%, with just 552 vehicles sold.
June sales got a boost from a resurgence in demand for large pickup trucks, said Don Johnson, GM's vice president for U.S. sales.
"As companies continue to invest in their businesses, we expect this segment to continue to recover," Johnson said. "We think the release of some pent-up demand in the pick-up (truck) market is an indication that a fundamental part of the U.S. economy is gradually strengthening."
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2010
