Two of Alabama's three automotive companies posted gains in June sales in what was for the U.S. market the sixth straight month of declining numbers.
Mercedes-Benz USA today reported its best-ever June sales of 28,994 units, an increase of 1.8 percent.
"June was a great month for both passenger cars and vans," said Dietmar Exler, president and CEO of MBUSA said in a statement. "We are in a good position for a strong second half of the year, particularly with exciting products that will fill the pipeline like the E-Class Coupe, E-Class Cabriolet, S-Class Sedan and new AMG models."
Honda's U.S. division reported a sales bump of one percent over this time last year, with total June sales of 139,793 Honda and Acura vehicles.
Hyundai, however, reported a drop of 19.2 percent, according to the Associated Press. Sales of Hyundai's Elantra compact car fell more than 40 percent to just over 13,000 cars. A year ago, Hyundai set a sales record for the month of June. The Korean automaker is expanding its SUV models to meet global demand.
Sales generally were down for Ford and General Motors, but analysts said unemployment is down and gas prices are still low, so the dip is probably not indicative of a long-term economic trend.