P.M. BRIEFING : Japan Import Car Sales Up 60%
<i> From Times wire services</i>
TOKYO —
Sales of imported vehicles in Japan surged over 60% in March from a year earlier to a record for the month of 25,943, the Japan Automobile Importers Assn. said Thursday.
Sales of cars with engines over 2,000 cubic centimeters nearly doubled, as West German manufacturers continued to lead the pack in overall sales, association figures showed.
Volkswagen and its Audi subsidiary scored the biggest total, selling 7,264 cars in the month, up nearly 40% from a year earlier. Luxury car makers Daimler-Benz and BMW were also big sellers.
Sales of U.S.-made cars were up 41% to 2,554, but this included almost 600 cars made by Japanese companies producing in the United States.
