Japanese Car Companies Say July Production Is Up

08/27/96

Reuters has reported that Japan's number one and two carmakers, Toyota and Nissan, respectively, both saw growth in their domestic production in July. Both say big demand for recreational vehicles has buoyed the figures. The two companies also announced increases in their overseas production for July.

A spokeswoman for Toyota said, "We introduced two types of recreational vehicles earlier this year and they have been very popular. Our business is certainly picking up. We plan to launch new models later this year and we would like our share (of the domestic market) to exceed 40 percent this year."

Toyota current share of the Japanese market is 39.5 percent. The carmaker said its domestic production in July rose 16 percent from the year before. Its exports in July were up 37.3 percent year-on-year, and its overseas production was up 15.8 percent.

For its part, Nissan said active demand for recreational vehicles and luxury cars boosted its production in July. The company claimed a 5.4% rise in July's domestic production as compared to the previous year. Nissan's exports were down 1.1 percent, but its overseas production was up 14.8 percent.

Mitsubishi, Japan's third-largest car maker, only saw a 0.1 percent year-on-year domestic production rise in July. A Mitsubishi spokesman said, "Our figures have been lower than other makers lately. We enjoyed an unrivaled share in the recreational vehicle market in the past, but other makers have entered the business."

Paul Dever -- The Auto Channel