GM overcomes soft economy

General Motors said Friday its January US sales increased 2.1 percent, overcoming sputtering economic conditions that have hurt its main rivals.
The largest US automaker, in a dead heat last year with Japan's Toyota for the title of the world's biggest, reported vehicle deliveries of 252,565 last month.
The Detroit giant said the figure is even stronger than it appears because sales to retail customers were up 11.2 percent, offsetting its planned reduction in largely unprofitable fleet sales.
The rise in GM sales contrasted with a 2.3 percent drop for Toyota, and a 4.1 percent decline for Ford Motor Co.