Japanese auto production for January 2001 fell 1.1 percent from the previous year, with manufacturers building 745,796 cars, trucks and buses domestically, said the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association on Monday.
According to the Association, the decline was attributed to a fall of nearly 5 percent in exports, mainly to the United States and Europe. However, a 0.9 percent increase in domestic sales was reported.
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Production remained unchanged from 2000, with output of cars with engines larger than 2000cc up 0.5 percent to 250,082 units. Output of cars with engines of between 661cc and 2000cc dropped 1.3 percent to 269,141 units.
Truck production decreased 6.1 percent to 123,563 vehicles due to a downturn in exports, the first decline in four months.
Production of buses dropped for the first time in a year, falling 2.5 percent to 4,087.
For mini-vehicles (vehicles with engines of up to 660cc), a 2.3 percent increase was reported for car production to 98,923 units, while truck production fell 2.6 percent to 44,019 units.
Truck makers Isuzu Motors Ltd. recorded a 23.9 percent drop in output to 17,119 units, which includes cars, but Nissan Diesel Motor Co.’s production increased 26.7 percent to 2,247 units. Hino Motors Ltd. rose 23.5 percent to 4,240 units.
Major minicar producers Suzuki Motor Corp. and Daihatsu Motor Co. reported production rises of 9.6 percent and 2.2 percent to 72,541 units and 50,923 units, respectively.
Japan’s largest auto-maker Toyota, and No. 2 car-manufacturer Nissan assembled nearly the same volume of vehicles as January 2000. Toyota’s output increased by 1 percent to 258,590 units with Nissan Motor Co. output dropping down 0.1 percent to 96,075 units.
Honda Motor Co., third in terms of domestic output, recorded a 5.4 percent increase to 88,735 units, while Mitsubishi Motors Corp. reported a 12.6 percent drop to 63,534 units. Mazda Motor Corp. registered a 15.2 percent drop to 57,554 units, said the Association.
