Mercedes-Benz USA recently reported sales of 20,733 new vehicles for July 2008, an 11.6 percent increase over last July. This brings the year-to-date total to 140,012 units, marking a 2.3 percent increase over the same period last year and setting the new record for MBUSA year-to-date sales, the automaker reports.

Both the C-Class and E-Class model lines posted gains of 45.4 percent and 53 percent increases, respectively. Other highlights for July sales include an 8.9 percent sales increase in CLK-Class coupes and cabriolets, and an impressive 28.1 percent increase for the full-sized GL-Class SUV.

As a group, sales of Mercedes-Benz passenger cars rose 17.8 percent for the month (15,239 vs. 12,936 units).

Compared to the first seven months of 2007, the C-Class saw a 37.9 percent sales increase with 43,603 units sold. Overall as a group, year-to-date sales of Mercedes-Benz passenger cars rose by 3.5 percent (100,398 vs. 97,022 units). Year-to-date increases were also recorded in the Mercedes-Benz SUV segment with a 0.7 percent gain in full-sized GL-Class sales and an 11.9 percent gain in M-Class sales.

Separately, through the Mercedes-Benz Certified Pre-Owned program, MBUSA marked a 17.2 percent increase for July sales with 5,175 vehicles sold, bringing year-to-date sales to a total of 36,533 units, an increase of 19.9 percent over the same period in 2007.