Japanese vehicle sales rose 10.8% in December...

Japanese vehicle sales rose 10.8% in December from a year earlier to 403,996, marking the 20th straight month of gains and a record for the month, the Japan Automobile Dealers Assn. says.

This compared to 446,404 in November, when sales rose 15.9% from a year earlier.

Preliminary December sales figures included 17,301 imported vehicles, up 47.9% from a year earlier, bringing the 1988 total to a record 134,767, up 37.6%. The previous record of 97,750 was set in 1987.

Vehicle sales in 1988 totaled a record 4.97 million, up 14.4% from the 1987 peak of 4.34 million.