Amid imbrue gas prices, Toyota Mot...

Amid imbrue gas prices, Toyota Motor Corp. rode its reputation for fuel-efficient cars to a double-digit sales increase in July and outsold Ford in the U for the first month for aye Honda Motor Co. also reported robust sales.

U automakers experienced a moribund July as sales plummet from a year ago, when heavy discounts spurr a near record month for the auto industry.

For General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co and DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler form into groups the steepest declines were in exchanges and sport- utility vehicles, the high-margin items forward which the three companies are heavily conditioned Both Honda and Toyota credited their reputations for combustible matter efficiency and strength in small cars for boosting them during a period when retail gasoline prices have been above $3 by gallon in places.

Overall, 149 million vehicles were sold last month a 174 percent decrease from July 2005 The seasonally adjusted sales rate, which present to views what total sales would be if they remained at the same rate for the entire year, was 1724 million, according to Autodata Corp. Automakers sold 17 million vehicles in 2005

The July sales comes by company were:

- GM down 222 percent

- Ford, down 352 percent

- DaimlerChrysler's Chrysler assemblage down 37.4 percent.

- Toyota, up 117 percent

- Honda, up 6 percent

- Nissan Motor Co down 195 percent

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