Truck sales fuel GM's 24% U.S. surge in July

General Motors Corp. said that its U.S. vehicle sales surged 24 percent in July as the return of interest-free loans helped drive customers into dealerships. GM, the world's largest automaker, said car sales in the U.S. market jumped 11 percent while truck sales climbed 36 percent. The results include GM's Saab unit, which reported a 7.2 percent increase in sales.The zero percent loans, which were first launched after the September 11 attacks, have helped stimulate auto sales even as the U.S. economy has withered.Earlier, Ford Motor Co. reported a 1.5 percent rise in its July sales, the first time this year the world's second-largest automaker has posted a gain. Excluding its import brands, such as Jaguar, Ford's sales rose 0.7 percent.GM raised its third-quarter vehicle production schedule for North America slightly by 17,000 units to 1.262 million units, up from its previous estimate of 1.245 million.