Mazda Sales Climb for Ninth Straight Month; Company's Second Quarter Sales Still Rising Following Strong First Quarter

    IRVINE, Calif., June 1 For the ninth consecutive month,
Mazda has posted a sales increase, with the automaker reporting a 0.4 percent
increase in sales for the month of May.  This month's increase is the second
jump for Mazda sales during the second quarter of 2001, while the first
quarter of the year saw Mazda sales in the United States finish in impressive
fashion, surging 23 percent ahead of last year's pace.
    Overall, Mazda's sales for May are 24,873, and the year-to-date sales
total is 112,494 units.
    "We are satisfied with our sales performance in May, especially in light
of the slowdown in the overall market," said Charlie Hughes, president and CEO
of Mazda North American Operations.  "Mazda products are on more and more
consumers' shopping lists, and we are confident that our sales will remain
strong through the remainder of the second quarter with the recent
introduction of our new 2001 MP3 and 2002 Protege5 models."
    May proved to be yet another impressive month for Mazda's stylish Millenia,
which saw a nearly 50 percent increase in sales from a year ago.  The
49.2 percent increase reflects the Millenia's best May since 1997.
    Mazda North American Operations is responsible for the sales and marketing,
customer parts and services support of Mazda vehicles in the United States.
Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., MNAO has more than 700 dealerships nationwide.