U.S. Vehicle Sales Reach 10-Year High

Deliveries of new cars and light trucks in the U.S. surged to an annualized rate of 17.8 million units, according to Autodata Inc. It was the highest monthly rate in 10 years and the best August since 2003.

Total sales for January-August were 11.61 million, up 4%.

Light trucks, propelled by ever-growing demand for crossovers, continue to dominate the U.S. market. Truck deliveries grew 9% to 889,400 units in August, according to Autodata. New-car deliveries plunged 10% to 688,000.

August results for domestic brands were mixed last month. Ford and Chrysler's volumes were up 6% and 2%, respectively, while General Motors tally slipped 1%.

Sales by Asian brands shrank 3% to 735,100 units in August, dragged down by declines for Toyota (-9%), Honda (-7%), Nissan (-1%) and Mazda (-4%). Asian brands on the upswing included Hyundai (+3%), Kia (+8%) and Subaru (+5%).

August sales by European marques increased 2% to 137,800 units, in spite of an 8% drop for struggling segment leader Volkswagen. Most luxury brands improved, led by Mercedes-Benz (+6%), BMW (+2%) and Audi (+10%), all three of which reported record results for the month.