Total Japan Auto Sales Up

 TOKYO, April 1, 2003; Reuters reported that Japan's
industry-wide auto sales, including 660cc minivehicles, rose 6.7 percent
in March from a year earlier to 823,341 vehicles, industry data showed on
Tuesday.
 For the full business year ended March 31, vehicle sales rose
0.7 percent to 5.868 million units.
 A breakdown of domestic vehicle sales data follows, with
year-on-year percentage changes in parentheses.
 YEAR-TO-DATE        JAN-MARCH 2003     JAN-MARCH 2002
 Total               1,729,522 (+4.3)   1,658,109
 Registered vehicles 1,206,873 (+6.8)   1,129,503
 Minivehicles          522,649 (-1.1)     528,606
 ------------------------------------------------------
 MARCH                    2003              2002
 Total                 823,341 (+6.7)    771,991
 Registered vehicles   579,707 (+9.1)    531,411
 Minivehicles          243,634 (+1.3)    240,580
  ------------------------------------------------------
 FEBRUARY                 2003              2002
 Total                 526,092 (+1.8)    517,004
 Registered vehicles   367,505 (+5.1)    349,603
 Minivehicles          158,587 (-5.3)    167,401
 ------------------------------------------------------
 JANUARY                  2003              2002
 Total                 380,089 (+3.0)    369,114
 Registered vehicles   259,661 (+4.5)    248,489
 Minivehicles          120,428 (-0.2)    120,625
 Sources: Ordinary vehicle data provided by the Japan
Automobile Dealers Association.
 Minivehicle data provided by the Japan Mini Vehicle
Association. Monthly data are sometimes revised.