General Motors sold 392,041 new cars and trucks in the US in December, down 10% from the same month a year ago.

Car sales were down 19% and truck sales down 5%. Calendar year sales of 4,517,730 were down 4%, with car sales down 7% and truck deliveries down 2%.

However, GM-owned Chevrolet, leading with full-size pickups, regained its status, lost in 1986, as the biggest selling US light vehicle brand of 2005. GM has set itself the task of launching 19 new vehicles this year.

Chrysler Group sales of 189,449 vehicles represented a 5% fall for December 2005, but Mercedes-Benz USA sales of 31,192 units represented a 17% year on year increase.

DaimlerChrysler AG has reported total group sales of 220,641 passenger vehicles in the US for December 2005, a 2% drop compared to December 2004. For the full calendar year 2005 DaimlerChrysler’s US passenger sales totalled 2,529,254, up 4% compared to 2004’s 2,427,634 vehicles.