Bayerische Motoren Werke AG’s namesake brand increased U.S. sales 1.6 percent in August and beat Toyota Motor Corp.’s Lexus nameplate as the top U.S. luxury brand for the third straight month. BMW sales rose to 19,540 as deliveries of its 1 Series gained 53 percent and the 7 Series climbed 42 percent, the Munich-based company said yesterday in a statement. Lexus deliveries decreased 15 percent to 19,465, the brand’s Toyota City, Japan-based parent company said in a statement. “We are seeing a slowdown in the market and do not expect the second half of the year to be as strong as the first half,” Jim O’Donnell, BMW of North America president, said in a statement. “Despite this, building momentum throughout the year and narrowing the gap with our competitors is still our plan.” – from Bloomberg