---

Tampa/St. Petersburg-Area Toyota: December Sales

13 January 1998

Tampa/St. Petersburg-Area Toyota Sales Climb In December

    MIAMI, Jan. 13 -- Toyota's five Tampa/St. Petersburg-area
dealers today reported a 91-percent climb in December retail truck sales and a
29-percent gain in December retail car sales over the year-ago month.
    Tampa/St.Petersburg-area dealers include Clearwater Toyota, Sutherlin
Toyota, located in Pinellas Park and Tampa's Courtesy Toyota, Precision Toyota
and Stadium Toyota.
    In the five-state region served by Southeast Toyota Distributors, Inc.,
total retail sales advanced 27 percent over the year-ago month. Retail truck
sales rose 47 percent while retail car sales advanced 23 percent.
    "Sales hit an all-time high for Southeast Toyota and our dealers,
bolstered by the Kentucky-built Camry and all-new Sienna," said Pat Moran,
president/CEO of Southeast Toyota. "We had an especially strong push in
December because we wanted to contribute to Camry's status as America's top
selling car."
    Ranked first among Toyota's American distributors in sales and customer
satisfaction, Southeast Toyota is the independent distributor of Toyotas in
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Owned and
operated by JM Family Enterprises, Inc., Southeast Toyota is based in
Deerfield Beach, Florida.

SOURCE  Toyota Motor Sales