OTTAWA (CP) _ New motor vehicle sales weakened in July after a healthy second quarter as 139,345 new vehicles were sold during the month, a 2.7 per cent decline from June.

Statistics Canada reports that sales of both passenger cars and trucks fell 2.7 per cent in July, largely because of diminished sales of both North American- and overseas-built models.

Preliminary industry data indicate new motor vehicle sales grew three per cent in August.

Passenger car sales fell by slightly more than 2,000 units in July, more than offsetting the 1.5 per cent growth in June.

The decrease in July follows the strongest quarterly sales growth since the second quarter of 2001.

Passenger car sales declined among both North American-built (down 2.3 per cent) and overseas-built models (down 3.4).

Sales of trucks were down for the second straight month, falling by almost the same number of units as passenger cars, while truck sales were up 2.2 per cent in the second quarter.

Declines in the sales of new motor vehicles in Quebec (down 5.7 per cent) and Ontario (down 3.1) drove the national sales decrease in July, accounting for over 90 per cent of the total decline.

Decreases were also noted in Prince Edward Island (down 4.4 per cent), New Brunswick (down 3.3), Manitoba (down 2.5) and British Columbia (down 1.7).

Of the four provinces to record increases in July, Newfoundland and Labrador (up 3.4 per cent) and Saskatchewan (up 2.3) rebounded from June declines to continue their strong performance since the beginning of 2007. Sales in Nova Scotia (up 0.6) and Alberta (up 0.3) remained relatively flat.