Car sales up 39.5 pct in August

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - Car sales in the Philippines rose by 39.5 percent on year to 19,116 units in August, the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI) said today.

CAMPI President Rommel Gutierrez said the local auto industry was able to surpass its original sales projection despite encountering problems such as late delivery of units last month.

"The growth in sales shows that the automotive industry remains strong as supported by the increasing demand of the market," Gutierrez said in a statement.

CAMPI said passenger car sales jumped by 56.1 percent on year to 7,997 units while commercial vehicle sales expanded by 29.6 percent on year to 11,119 units.

Japanese carmaker Toyota Motors Philippines Corp. led the industry in August with a market share of 46.57 percent, followed by Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. with 18.27 percent and Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. with 12.45 percent.

Sales in the January to August period summed up to 148,803 units, 27.6 percent higher than the 116,617 units posted a year ago.