Japan's top 5 carmakers see sharp sales, output falls in Nov.+

TOKYO, Dec. 24 Kyodo - All of Japan's five major automakers posted steep falls in sales and production in November with Nissan Motor Co.'s global output registering the sharpest fall in nearly a quarter century, according to data released by the firms Wednesday.

Reflecting slumping sales globally, worldwide auto output at Nissan, Japan's
third-largest carmaker, tumbled 33.7 percent to 222,212 vehicles, marking the
largest fall since the manufacturer began compiling global production data in
1984.
Global auto production plunged 24.8 percent to 665,583 vehicles at the Toyota
Motor Corp. group, which includes Daihatsu Motor Co. and Hino Motors Ltd. On a
parent company basis alone, Toyota's global auto output dived 26.6 percent to
589,505 units, posting the steepest fall since 1988.
Honda's global auto output fell 9.9 percent to 326,176 units in November, the
largest drop since it logged a 10.5 percent decline in August 2003.
Mazda built 100,658 vehicles, down 17.9 percent, and global auto production at
Mitsubishi totaled 91,750 units, down 27.7 percent.
Regarding domestic sales, the Toyota group logged a fall of 19.8 percent from a
year earlier to 163,062 vehicles. Honda, the second-largest Japanese automaker,
sold 49,129 units, down 11.7 percent, while Nissan's sales slipped 22.8 percent
to 41,584 units, the lowest level in 41 years for any November.
Mazda Motor Corp. sold 13,540 units in Japan, down 28.0 percent, while
Mitsubishi Motors Corp.'s figure plunged 31.1 percent to 13,044 units.
Exports for the five carmakers also showed steep falls in November against the
backdrop of the sagging auto markets overseas, particularly in North America.
Toyota shipped 204,112 units, down 24.1 percent, while shipments by Honda fell
11.1 percent to 52,749 units. Nissan shipped 52,591 units, down 30.2 percent,
Mazda saw its shipments from Japan tumble 14.9 percent to 62,535 units, and
Mitsubishi registered a 13.8 percent slump to 39,917 vehicles.
==Kyodo