ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Leadership from the American International Automobile Dealers Association touted the higher sales performance member dealers posted in July.

AIADA indicated international nameplate franchises accounted for 56.3 percent of all vehicles sold in the United States in July. The figure moved higher than the June mark, which was 53.4 percent.

Looking at the specific figures courtesy of Autodata Corp., international brands sold 591,297 units in July. The amount represented a rise from both June, which totaled 525,845 sales, and May, which had 582,658 sales.

Asian brands accounted for 48.2 percent of the overall market. It's an uptick from 44.8 percent in June. Meanwhile, European nameplates slid down to 8.1 percent in July from 8.6 percent in June.

The advancement by foreign brands caused domestic nameplate sales to dip slightly. Officials determined domestic brands finished the month with 43.7 percent of the market, down from 46.5 in June and 47.2 percent in May.

The association mentioned overall July sales — including domestic brands and unadjusted for business days — were up 5.2 percent from the same month a year ago and improved 6.7 percent from June of this year. Furthermore, the sales figures also are up 14.8 percent for the year.

AIADA also reiterated that the seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) for light vehicle sales is estimated at 11.55 million, the third highest of the year.

What's also gotten the association's attention is how July's sales performance compared to a year ago since that month marked the start of the government-funded Cash for Clunkers. The program aimed to jumpstart the weak retail market.

This year, AIADA found automakers saw mixed results. A trio of international brands had double-digit sales gains last month, including Hyundai (18.8 percent higher than July 2009), Nissan (12.1 percent), and Volkswagen (16 percent).

Meanwhile, officials found Toyota and Honda both saw sales drop from July 2009. They believe Cash for Clunkers drove demand for small, fuel efficient vehicles made both those nameplates.

Even so, AIADA highlighted Toyota sold the most of any international nameplate brand in July, moving 150,629 vehicles. Leadership also noted General Motors led all U.S. sales with 199,601 units, 50,000 of which went to fleets.

"In 2009, the Cash for Clunkers program provided a welcome boost to auto sales," stated AIADA president Cody Lusk.

"This year, manufacturers and dealers are working together to build a lasting recovery," Lusk continued. "Improvement may be gradual, but it is founded in real market conditions and consumer confidence in our vehicles."

Turning to some details about specific units, AIADA highlighted that six of the top 10 selling vehicles in July were from international nameplates.

Honda had three of these vehicles, Civic, Accord and CR-V, the most of any individual automaker. The manufacturer recently noted it had built more vehicles in the U.S. than in Japan during the second quarter.

The remaining foreign vehicles that dotted the top 10 list included the Toyota Camry and Corolla and the Nissan Altima.

Despite all of the turmoil surrounding recalls, AIADA touted the recovery of Toyota since the Camry moved into the second spot overall among top selling vehicles. The Camry's rise displaced the Chevrolet Silverado to trail only the Ford F-150.

The association mentioned how the Toyota Corolla's market position continues to strengthen, moving up two spots from sixth to fourth in July.

AIADA wrapped up his July sales discussion by mentioning Autodata's information about which vehicle segments were the top sellers.

The association indicated Americans purchased 307,909 crossovers and SUVs during July, more than any other vehicle segment. Sales for the segment were up 17.1 percent over July of 2009.

As usual, AIADA found the midsize segment landed in second place with sales of 257,666 vehicles and up 1.8 percent over last July.

Officials also noted the luxury segment experienced a 9.1-percent sales increase, selling 78,106 units during July.

Overall, Autodata tabulated that U.S. buyers purchased 1,050,101 vehicles during the month of July. Of those, 527,673 were cars, while 522,428 were trucks. Asian nameplates sold 309,723 cars and 196,115 trucks, while European nameplates sold 309,723 cars and 196,115 trucks. Domestics sold 154,479 cars and 304,325 trucks.