AUTOS

Japan’s Car Imports Rise in 1995-96: Imported vehicle sales jumped 20.9% in fiscal 1995-96 from the year earlier to 402,608, the third consecutive annual record, the Japan Automobile Importers Assn. said. The increase was helped by lower prices of replacement parts and other maintenance fees at foreign car dealers. Imported passenger cars took 10.7% of market share in 1995-96, a proportion expected to increase about 11% in the current fiscal year, to 390,000. In 1995-96, the Japanese company Honda topped the list with sales of 53,000 overseas-made cars, down 1.5% from a year earlier. The Volkswagen group was second at 49,000, up 26.4%. Mercedes-Benz was third with sales of 37,300 cars, up 7.6%.