GM sales drop 20.3% (Get welfare checks ready)

General Motors Corp.’s August sales dropped 20.3% to 307,285 total vehicles as sales of its large trucks continued to drop in the face of higher gas prices and a weakened U.S. economy.

Sales of GM’s cars dropped 13.9% to 124,441 units in August while sales of GM’s trucks fell 24.1% to 182,844.

GM put a positive twist on its results, saying August was its best monthly sales total so far in 2008.

“Compared with an exceptionally strong retail and fleet month last year, August total sales were down 20%. However, when compared with July, 2008, total sales were up 31%," the company said in a statement.