Japanese Still No. 1 in Auto Production

Japan remained the world’s largest auto maker in 1989, the country’s leading automobile trade group said today, and analysts predicted that Japanese car makers will maintain their lead in the year ahead.

If it holds the lead through 1990, it will be the top vehicle-maker for the 11th straight year and the biggest maker of passenger cars for the fourth year in a row.

Japan remained the world’s top vehicle maker in 1989 with output of 13.03 million, up 2.6% from a year earlier. Output surpassed the 10.85 million vehicles produced in the United States in 1989.