By Haidee V. Eugenio
Variety Assistant Editor

REDUCED income, lack of consumer confidence and high utility bills have taken a toll on the sale of new vehicles in the CNMI, with automotive dealers reporting a 45.15 percent drop in sales in the first quarter of calendar year 2007 compared to the same three-month period last year.
There were only 181 new cars, vans, trucks and sports utility vehicles sold between January and March this year compared to 330 last year during the same quarter, the latest data from the Commonwealth Auto Dealers Association show.
In March, CADA sold only 67 vehicles, a 44 percent drop from the same month last year.
CADA secretary Douglas Brennan yesterday said auto dealers attribute the 45 percent drop in vehicle sales to a “loss of disposable income” as a result of an increase in the Commonwealth Utilities Corp.’s power rates and reduced salaries due to government and private sector austerity measures, as well as “lack of consumer confidence” in these hard financial times. “We may see a 28 percent drop in sales if the current trend continues,” Brennan said in a telephone interview.
CADA consists of Joeten Motors, Microl Corp. and Triple “J” Motors.
Brennan, who is also the general manager of Microl Corp, said something positive has come out of the situation as more motorists are now taking better care of their vehicles.
Of the 181 vehicles sold between January and March, 81 units or 45 percent were sold by Microl Corp.; 58 units or 32 percent by Joeten Motors; and 42 units or 23 percent by Triple “J” Motors.
Microl’s Toyota Yaris remains the vehicle of choice with 10 new units sold in March. This was followed by Microl’s Toyota Corolla with six sold, and Triple “J” Motors’ Mazda3 with four sold.