Mercedes car sales return to growth in August

New Class A Mercedes-Benz cars are pictured during a press preview day at the AMI Auto Show in Leipzig June 1, 2012.

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Daimler's (DAIGn.DE) luxury car brand Mercedes-Benz returned to growth in volumes in August as demand in Britain and France offset a weak southern Europe.

Sales of Mercedes-Benz cars rose 4.5 percent to 91,316 vehicles, following a 3.1 percent decline in July.

Sales in western Europe were up 1.2 percent as the decline in Germany, Europe's largest and most lucrative market, slowed to 1.2 percent. In China, the world's biggest car market, Mercedes-Benz sales returned to growth, increasing 2.8 percent.

Over the first eight months of the year, Mercedes-Benz brand sales have grown 5.4 percent. Sales of Smart brand subcompacts were up 4.2 percent in August and up 1.0 percent in the January-August period.

(Reporting by Maria Sheahan; editing by Victoria Bryan)