GM sales up 5.4 percent in July

'Core' brands surge 25 percent
Barbara Wieland • bwieland@lsj.com •
August 3, 2010 • From LSJ.com
UPDATED 11:45 A.M. -

DETROIT — Sales of the Lansing-made Cadillac CTS more than doubled in July, helping push General Motors Co.’s U.S.sales up 5.4 percent for the month.

GM reported today it sold 199,692 vehicles last month, up from 189,443 year earlier. Sales of GM’s four core brands — Cadillac, GMC, Chevrolet and Buick — increased 24.6 percent to 199,432 vehicles last month.

Discontinued brands accounted for 260 vehicle sales last month, down from 29,365 in July 2009.

GM has shut down or sold its Hummer, Pontiac, Saab and Saturn lines. Sales of GM's "core" brands - Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC - rose a combined 24.6 percent last month, with 199,432 vehicles sold.

CTS sales - which include a sedan, coupe and wagon - soared 131.5 percent in July. The CTS Coupe, which made its debut last month, contributed to the jump.

“GM’s newest vehicles, including Chevrolet Camaro and Equinox, Buick LaCrosse and Regal, GMC Terrain, and Cadillac SRX, CTS Coupe and CTS Wagon continue to contribute significant sales gains,â€