PARIS, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Western European car sales jumped 8.8 percent last month, according to industry data released on Thursday, as buoyant demand in Germany and southern Europe made up for a weaker French performance.
Registrations rose to 1.09 million cars last month from just over a million the previous July, based on published national data and smaller market estimates compiled by LMC Automotive.
The July numbers amounted to a seasonally adjusted selling rate of 13.15 million cars per year, LMC said, slightly below June's 13.28 million rate but more than a million vehicles ahead of last year's total.
"The German market was a particular highlight," said Emiliano Lewis, a UK-based analyst with the consulting firm.
German sales rose 7.4 percent in July, according to data published earlier this week, while car registrations surged nearly 24 percent in Spain and 15 percent in Italy.
France, however, saw its sales growth slow to 2.3 percent for the month with an annualised selling rate of 1.83 million cars, according to LMC, down from 2.07 million in June. (Reporting by Laurence Frost; Editing by James Regan)