Statistics from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers show that output of domestically made vehicles increased by 36.47 percent year-on-year to 2.937 million units during the first 11 months of this year.

The output in November reached a record high of 305,500, the highest monthly output since September.

The November figure was up 52.21 percent from the same month last year and up 3.67 percent when compared with October this year.

Output of domestically produced passenger cars rose by 51.39 percent to 974,000 units during the first 11 months of this year from the same period last year, the statistics indicate.

Car output in November increased by 76.35 percent to 113,200 units from a year earlier.

"The fast-growing output is mainly a result of strong demand for vehicles, especially passenger cars," said a spokesperson for the association.

Sales of China-made vehicles rose by 36.80 percent year-on-year to 2.963 million units during the January-November period this year, according to the association.

Sales for the whole year are forecast to top 3.2 million units.

Sales in November hit 295,300 units, up 49.27 percent from the corresponding month last year.

Passenger car sales during the first 11 months this year reached 1.021 million units, an increase of 55.40 percent from a year earlier.

The association attributed much of the robust car-sales growth to new product launches by local manufacturers, especially Sino-foreign joint ventures.

Over the past 12 months, foreign carmakers have introduced more than 10 new models through their Chinese joint ventures.

Car sales last month posted this year's biggest leap. They grew 93.15 percent to 115,500 units from November 2001.

(China Daily December 16, 2002)