Japan Aug. Used Vehicle Sales Fall to Record Low

Tokyo, Sept. 10 (Jiji Press)--Used vehicle sales in Japan fell 9.1
pct from a year before to 274,234 units in August, the lowest for the month
since the statistics began in 1978, an industry group said Thursday.
Used vehicle sales lost ground for the seventh straight month,
showing a steeper year-on-year fall than the previous month's 5.7 pct, the
Japan Automobile Dealers Association said.
Sales of used passenger cars and trucks remain sluggish due to the
lack of well-maintained vehicles, though new vehicle sales have turned to
grow thanks to the popularity of models subject to large tax breaks and
government subsidies to spur purchases of eco-friendly vehicles.
Sales of used cars dropped 6.7 pct to a record low of 234,765
units, the 11th consecutive fall. Trucks were down 22.8 pct at 31,762 units,
also the lowest on record.
The association does not see any sign of recovery on horizon, an
official said.*