utomobiles sold in Japan dived 31.5 percent year-on-year in March to 323,063 units, the lowest level since 1974, the Japan Automobile Dealers Association said Wednesday. It was also the eighth consecutive monthly fall in the sales of new vehicles. In the year to March, sales of cars, buses and trucks fell below the 3 million line for the first time since 1971, contracting by 15.6 percent year-on-year to 2,891,901 units, said the trade body. A sharp decline in demand amid the economic recession is believed to be the key factor behind the slump in sales, according to the association.Source : news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-04/01/content_11113005.htm
