AUTO OUTPUT AND EXPORTS OFF SLIGHTLY

Florida Automotive Journal
December 1970

Increasing foreign competition and production slowdowns caused by work stoppages and other factors have cut slightly into Italian automoblie output, but there is a good possibility that this country's production will show a gain for the whole of 1970.

Through August, Italian production of vehicles was down 2.7 per cent to 1,149,589.  Production for all of 1969 was 1,592,681, two or three hundred thousand less than forecast at the beginning of that year.

The long strike period of last autumn was a major factor in reducing the expected output.

However, if there is a period of relative calm on the labor front this autumn, auto production could run past 1.6 million units this year.

Exports are still high, with Italian producers assigning major importance to foreign markets.  The domestic market has become more competitive in this situation of lower production and continuing high exports.  Foreign autos now are accounting for about one-forth of new registration on the Italian market.

Exports for eight months are down 8.35 per cent from 1969 but are still high at 424,169 units—38 per cent of Italian production.

The domestic market is still going strong on new cars and manufacturers here report they are still not able to fill quickly all orders for vehicles.

Autumn here as in other countries, is a major sales period as new models and designs come to market.

These will be presented at the Turin Auto Salon running from Oct. 20 through Nov. 8.  There will be 530 exhibitors from 14 countries displaying their production: Czechoslovakia, USA, Soviet Union, Japan, West Germany, Italy, Holland, Britain, Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, France, Belgium and Austrailia.

Japan and the Soviet Union have  expanded their entries here.  Honda, Mazda, Nissan and Toyota are showing for Japan, while the Soviet Union is displaying the Moskvitch, Volga and Zaz.