SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian sales of new vehicles rose by the most in 11 months in May to hit the highest on record, a promising sign for a pick up in consumer spending in the second quarter.
Monday's data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed national sales rose a seasonally adjusted 2.9 percent in May, from April when they edged up 0.3 percent. Sales of 100,476 vehicles were up 4.9 percent on May last year, and the highest since the series began in 1994.
Sales of sports utilities rebounded by 4.1 percent after a dip in April, while passenger vehicle sales rose a solid 3.8 percent. Sales of other vehicles, including trucks, slipped 0.6 percent after a couple of strong months.
(Reporting by Wayne Cole; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)
