Sales of new cars and trucks among auto dealers in North Carolina grew 3 percent in 2014 to a decade-high of 451,000 vehicles sold, but the rate of growth lagged behind the national average.

According to data from the North Carolina Automobile Dealers Association, the sale of domestic cars in North Carolina was down 2 percent compared to the year prior while the sale of imported trucks was up 7 percent. The sale of domestic trucks was up 2 percent and import car sales were up 4 percent.

On a national…