Japanese car sales in record slump

Sales dropped 37 per cent in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami.

By Liam McLaughlin Published 01 April 2011

Japan's automotive industry has suffered the largest March fall in sales since records began in 1968, after sales fell by 37 per cent to 279,389.

Japan's largest car maker Toyota saw the biggest fall, with a 46 per cent decline in sales, while Nissan - the country's second-largest car maker - fell 38 per cent to 45,700. Honda's sales, meanwhile, dropped by 28 per cent to 43,329.

The earthquake, tsunami and subsequent nuclear fears - which have still not been fully allayed - has affected not only industry, but also consumer confidence. The first set of economic data showing the impact of the disaster on Japan, as measured by the purchasing managers index, showed a plunge of 6.5 per cent to a two-year low.

 
 

1 comment

RoiSanders's picture

Wed, 2012-06-13 02:09 — RoiSanders

That's just the downfall of disasters. Just like humans, we used to struggle with ourselves. But that is just a trial. Japan's automotive industry will continue to rise in the future years. As such, they are continuously launching several car models of which have enticed many people. They are actually next to U.S. when it comes to vehicles. Aside from vehicles, Japan is also leading when it comes to car safety features. As such they are now dealing with replacement stuff including bumper cover, suspension parts and even safety kits.

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