Auto Production Scoreboard For Japan

TOKYO September 25,2002; The AP reported today that production fell at Japan's biggest automaker Toyota Motor Corp. in August but was higher at other major auto companies compared with last year.

Toyota said Wednesday domestic production fell 2.6 percent from a year ago to 209,802 vehicles as its sales in Japan, including trucks and buses, fell 2.3 percent to 104,435 vehicles. Toyota's overseas production surged 14.0 percent to 171,934 vehicles.

Honda Motor Co., Japan's No. 2 automaker, reported a 13 percent climb in domestic production in August to 101,326 vehicles. Exports inched down 0.9 percent to 35,776 vehicles.

Domestic production at Nissan Motor Co., the nation's No. 3 automaker, which is 44.4 percent owned by Renault SA of France, grew 10.5 percent to 99,058 vehicles in August as both exports and domestic sales increased.

Nissan's exports soared 22.2 percent from a year ago to 53,346 vehicles, while domestic sales jumped 16.7 percent on year to 47,845 units.

Mitsubishi Motors Corp. said its domestic output increased 12.2 percent to 62,973 vehicles in August as a rise in exports offset sliding domestic sales.

Mitsubishi, 37.3 percent owned by DaimlerChrysler AG of Germany, exported 35,560 vehicles in August, up 27.1 percent from a year earlier, while it sold 23,867 vehicles in Japan, down 11.6 percent on year.

Mazda Motor Corp. reported growth in domestic output of 3.3 percent to 59,628 vehicles in August, compared to the same month a year ago.

Mazda sales in Japan expanded for the first time in 24 months to 20,577 vehicles in August, up 2.6 percent from the same month a year ago, thanks to the popularity of the remodeled Demio subcompact.

Exports slumped 16.4 percent to 35,826 vehicles at Mazda, a Hiroshima-based automaker that is about a third owned by Ford Motor Co.