Vehicle sales in Japan fell by more than a third in March as a devastating earthquake, tsunami and resultant nuclear crisis wreaked havoc on assembly plants, parts manufacturers and the global supply chain.
Sales, excluding 660cc minivehicles, fell 37 percent for the industry overall, and industry leader Toyota Motor Corp saw sales for the month tumble 46 percent, the Japan Automobile Dealers Association said on Friday.
It was the industry's biggest monthly percentage fall since February 1974.
Nissan Motor Co's Japan sales slumped 38 percent and Honda Motor Co retreated 28 percent. The figure for Toyota excluded the Lexus brand.
The latest numbers give the first indication of how Japan's car makers are faring in their home market after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that devastated northeast Japan and triggered power outages and the worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl.
Many of Japan's auto plants are closed in the wake of the disaster, unable to get parts from suppliers.
All but two of 18 factories that assemble Toyota and Lexus vehicles in Japan remain idle.
Toyota Motor Corp President Akio Toyoda said on Friday that the devastating earthquake and tsunami in northeast Japan would hurt the company's earnings, but said that was not on his list of priorities.
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