New-vehicle sales decreased to 124,764 units in November, down six per cent from the previous month, on weaker sales across all the provinces, Statistics Canada said Friday.

But sales were still up 1.4 per cent compared to the same time a year earlier — a period when sales of almost everything troughed as consumer confidence hit record lows.

Cars await transport at a holding lot. New-vehicle sales dropped six per cent in November, Statistics Canada says. (Paul Sancya/Associated Press)

Sales of North American-built cars fell by 9.1 per cent, more than offsetting the increase made a month earlier. Overall, passenger car sales were down 7.4 per cent to 63,170 units in November.

Sales of foreign-built passenger cars also weakened by 5.2 per cent.

New truck sales — which include minivans, sport-utility vehicles, light and heavy trucks, vans and buses — slipped 4.6 per cent to 61,594 units, the first decline in four months.

Regionally, the largest contributor to the decline was Ontario, where sales fell 5.8 per cent. Ontario's sales level in November was at its lowest since June.

The region composed of British Columbia and the territories posted a 2.6 per cent decline, partially offsetting October's increase. Sales in this region have increased in nine out of 11 months in 2009.

The number of new motor vehicles sold in the Atlantic provinces fell 15.1 per cent in November. A 19.6 per cent decline in Newfoundland and Labrador and an 18.2 per cent swoon in Nova Scotia led the way for the region. After increasing for the first eight months of 2009, sales in Nova Scotia have fallen in two of the last three months.

With a 17.2 per cent decline, Saskatchewan's sales level in November was its lowest in 2009. Sales have fluctuated greatly on a monthly basis since the end of 2008.

Quebec, where monthly sales fluctuations have been the least volatile in 2009, posted the smallest decline in November, at 2.5 per cent.

The agency says preliminary industry data indicates new motor vehicles rose by two per cent in December.