SE Asian car sales predicted to top 2 million by 2000

SE Asian car sales predicted to top 2 million by 2000

BANGKOK (AFP): Thailand's annual auto sales are forecast to
exceed 800,000 vehicles by 2000, accounting for about 40 percent
of all southeast Asian sales, a newspaper reported here
yesterday.

Ninnart Chaitheerapinyo, president of the Thai Automotive
Industry Association, was quoted by The Nation daily as saying
regional auto sales in 2000 would exceed two million.

Thailand's auto sales in 2000 would be followed by Indonesia
with 600,000 vehicles, Malaysia with 320,000, the Philippines
275,000, Vietnam 60,000, Singapore 45,000 and Burma 30,000.

The association chief estimated Thai auto sales in 1996 at
584,000 units, followed by Indonesia with 378,700 units, Malaysia
297,000 units and the Philippines 140,000 units, he said.

Small passenger cars, which comprise 21 percent of the Thai
market, were expected to experience the fastest growth in sales
in Thailand, he said. Large and medium-sized cars account for
another nine percent of the market.

Some 56 percent of automobiles sold in Thailand are pick-up
trucks, but Ninnart expected buyers to switch to passenger cars,
especially in traffic-clogged Bangkok and other cities.

He appealed to the Thai government to use taxes collected from
the booming automobile sector to improve road networks rather
than seeking to curb traffic through rush hour bans or tolls.

"The government wants foreign automobile investment but does
not want to increase the number of cars in the country which is
not right," complained Ninnart.

Proton

Malaysia's national car company Proton Bhd. expects to
manufacture 260,000 cars next year, chairman Yahaya Ahmad said
yesterday.

"For 1997 we are working very hard to expand capacity to bring
production to 260,000 cars a year," Yahaya said in Kuala Lumpur.

Proton also expected to export 50,000 to 60,000 cars next
year, he said, adding that the thrust for Proton's future was to
enhance export capacity and capability.

"This will be the basis for the company's growth in the
future," he told reporters after the roll-out ceremony of the one
millionth Proton by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad at its
assembly plant in Shah Alam, central Selangor state.

By the end of the decade, Proton expects to export 40 percent
of its total production, Yahaya said.

Proton was always on the lookout to acquire companies with
technology, he said, adding: "This will be our future route."
Malaysia's government, with the help of Japan's Mitsubishi group,
ventured into the automobile industry in 1985 as part of an
ambitious drive into heavy industries.

The venture has so far been a success. Blessed by Malaysia's
robust economic growth, Proto has enjoyed strong sales in the
local passenger car market.

The company was producing 8,600 units a year when it began
operations and increased production to 180,000 units this year to
cope with rising demand.

Proton also unveiled a two-door Proton Putra on Monday. The
price tag is between 68,000 ringgit (US$27,200) and 70,000
ringgit.

It currently produces several variants of the national car for
the domestic and export markets.

In April this year, Proton and France's PSA Peugeot-Citroen
and two local partners teamed up to produce the Citroen AX
variant, launched in Malaysia as the Proton Tiara.

Proton, following its October takeover of 80 percent of
Britain's Lotus Group International Ltd, has revealed ambitious
plans to produce an upmarket Proton-Lotus variant.