Posted on 01 Jun 2009
Domestic automobile production at eight major Japanese manufacturers of passenger vehicles dropped by an average of slightly more than 40 per cent on the year in April, a milder decline than in March, according to preliminary figures released Thursday.
While all eight suffered double-digit drops, the top three carmakers saw their worst April ever, with domestic output falling 56.1 per cent to 145,516 units at Toyota Motor Corp., 37.5 per cent to 57,066 at Honda Motor Co. and 49. 8 per cent to 49,663 at Nissan Motor Co.
Meanwhile, the pace of declines in overseas production quickened at Toyota, Suzuki Motor Corp., Daihatsu and Fuji Heavy in April. The eight firms' exports fell by an average of about 60 per cent.
