China Helps Honda To New Sales Record; Russia Does Same For VW

Chinese Honda Accord

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Honda and Volkswsagen are two notable auto manufacturers with far-flung markets that are helping them weather - and thrive despite - the tough sales downturn. Honda's sales in China, up 11.7 percent for 2008 due to strong sales of its Accord and CR-V, actually helped it post record high global production of 3.96 million units for 2008, 1.2 percent higher than 2007 production.

VW Transporter Double Cab

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The Russian market has turned out to be a boon to Volkswagen, who increased sales of light trucks like the Caddy, T5 van, and Crafter delivery truck to that market by 78 percent for 2008. The Wolfsburg-based VW Group managed a 0.6 worldwide sales increase for 2008, helped in no small part by luxury brand Audi who topped one million units in global sales for the first time in its history. Nonetheless, a harbinger of tough times to come in '09 is VW's 15 percent sales downturn for January 2009.

Elsewhere, news wasn't so good for the newly-crowned number one worldwide automaker in annual sales, Toyota. They managed 9.22 million units in 2008, a 2.9 percent decrease from 2007's numbers and their first yearly decline in seven years.

[source: Automotive News, Detroit News]