<New car registrations>

The volume of new car registrations (except for a minivehicle) in the first half (January to June) of 08 which Japan Automobile Dealers Association announced on the 1st was 1,771,628 sets, a 0.9% decrease compared with the corresponding period of last year. the crack of the previous year of the first half is three-year continuation -- for the first time in since [ 77 (1,742,109 sets) ] and 31 years -- having been low level . Against the background of the jump of an economic slump or a gas price, the sluggish sales of the new car are increasing seriousness.
The volume of sales for 90 years of the golden age is more than 3,050,000 set, and it means that it had fallen off to the level of 60 or less percent. At the items according to type of a car, the passenger car which occupies a little less than 90 percent of the whole increased by the popularity of a fuel-efficient hybrid car or a small-size car for the first time in the increase of this 1.0%, and three years. However, depression of a commercial vehicle was intense and depressed the whole number -- freight cars including a track become this 13.1% decrease. Since the company pressed for reduction of cost under the influence of an economic slump or raw-material quantity postponed the change, it is seen.
This joint association analyzes it as "those who part with a car have also begun to appear in gasoline quantity, and not optimistic about the future." About a maker having begun to raise a vehicles price in part, it assumed "It is anxious about the influence on sale."
Minivehicle sale of the first half which Japan Mini Vehicles Association announced on the same day was also minus of the two-year continuation as the first half by 1,014,542 sets, this 3.8% decrease. [
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