Three Japanese Automakers Increase Output in October; Toyota Motor and Mitsubishi Motors Cut Production

TOKYO November 25, 2004; Kozo Mizoguchi writing for the AP reported that three major Japanese automakers -- Nissan, Honda and Mazda -- increased global production in October due to brisk demand in overseas markets, but output at Toyota and scandal-hit Mitsubishi was down, the companies said Thursday.

Toyota Motor, Japan's top automaker, said worldwide production slipped 0.6 percent to 590,993 vehicles in October from a year ago. Domestic production fell 7.2 percent to 312,847 vehicles for the first drop in five months.

No. 2 Nissan Motor Co. said worldwide production edged higher 0.5 percent to 286,081 vehicles. The company said its overseas plants produced 164,426 vehicles, up 5.2 percent, offsetting a 5.2-percent drop in domestic production, which totaled 121,655 vehicles.

Nissan, which has a partnership with French automaker Renault SA, said production in the United States rose 13.9 percent to 71,959 vehicles, boosted by strong sales of Altima sedan and Titan pickup trucks.

Honda Motor Co.'s worldwide production rose 1.3 percent to 272,694 vehicles, thanks to a record production in Asia, outside Japan. Overseas production rose 3.2 percent to 167,232 vehicles as production in non-Japanese Asia, including China, surged 52.6 percent to a monthly record of 39,141 vehicles, offsetting an 8.8 percent drop in North America.

Honda's domestic production totaled 105,462 vehicles, down 1.5 percent.

Mazda Motor Corp., which is about a third owned by Ford Motor Co. of the United States, said its global production climbed 7.2 percent to 102,559 vehicles -- with production at home rising 1.1 percent. The Hiroshima-based automaker said its overseas output rose 28.7 percent from a year earlier to 27,275 vehicles for the tenth straight month of gains.

Despite the overall drop in production, Toyota's overseas production grew 8.1 percent to 278,146 vehicles -- making the 34th straight month of gains in almost all regions and a record high for the month of October.

Hitoshi Nagashima, a Toyota spokesman, said overall production dropped in October because there were two fewer operating days in the month this year compared to last year.

Toyota's exports from Japan increased, though domestic sales slipped slightly, he added.

Mitsubishi Motors Corp., which has been plagued with a string of recall problems, posted a steep on-year drop of 15.7 percent to 112,185 vehicles in October in global production. Overseas production fell 3.9 percent, with output in the North America plunging 37.2 percent. Production at home tumbled 27.8 percent for the sixth consecutive month of declines.