Sales of "Imported Cars" Rise 1.3% in February 2004

TOKYO March 4, 2004; The AP reported that acording to the Japan Automobile Importers Association sales of imported vehicles in Japan rose 1.3 percent in February from the same month a year ago, with Japanese models manufactured abroad by Toyota Motor Corp. marking nearly a four-fold increase, an industry group said Thursday.

A total of 20,853 vehicles -- 20,613 passenger cars, 234 trucks and six buses -- were sold last month, compared with 20,595 units sold in February of 2003, the Japan Automobile Importers Association said.

Largely responsible for the rise were imports of Japanese models manufactured abroad -- including Toyota's Avensis and Honda Motor Co.'s Fit Aria -- which surged 64.7 percent to 3,065 units.

An association spokesman, Yasuhiko Yokota, said special low interest rate loans for buyers offered by some major importers and Toyota's snappy sales combined to boost February sales.

Toyota's Avensis models -- luxury sedans and station wagons produced at its British plant -- debuted in the Japanese market last October. Japan's top automaker sold 2,144 imported vehicles, most of them Avensis models, last month, compared with 546 sold in the same month of 2003.

Imports of non-Japanese producers fell 5.0 percent to 17,788 vehicles in February, after a 4.6 percent slip in January, the association said.

German automakers took more than half of the import car market share in February.

Volkswagen topped the ranking at 4,492 vehicles, down 7.5 percent from a year ago, for a market share of 21.54 percent. Mercedes-Benz -- produced by DaimlerChrysler -- came in second with 3,518 vehicles, up 1.9 percent. It had a 16.87 percent share of the market. BMW took 12.20 percent of the Japanese market with 2,545 vehicles, up 12.5 percent.

Among U.S. automakers, Chrysler was the top-seller at 480 vehicles, down 23.2 percent, for a market share of 2.30 percent. Ford Motor Co. had a 2.07 percent share with 431 vehicles sold, up 9.4 percent. Chevrolet for General Motors Corp. sold 175 vehicles for a 0.84 percent share.

Japan Automobile Importers Association: http://www.jaia-jp.org