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German auto sales strong
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October 13, 1999: 11:03 a.m. ET
Weak euro pushes exports though domestic sales weak; VW targets record
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LONDON (CNNfn) - German auto makers posted strong sales figures Wednesday as the weak euro pushed overseas orders up 14 percent in September though domestic orders fell back.
Volkswagen, the country's number two manufacturer after DaimlerChrysler, said it is on track to post record full-year sales of five million vehicles after announcing a 7.5 percent climb in orders through Sept. 30.
VDA, the German auto industry association, said September was an exceptionally strong month for orders, taking production for the first nine months to 4.22 million, 2 percent over the year-ago period.
However, the weak German economy saw domestic orders dip 5 percent last month, making the nine-month total just 1 percent higher than a year ago.
DaimlerChrysler didn't release September data Wednesday, but said last month that its orders through the first eight months of the year were up 12 percent.
The data helped to firm auto shares in a weak session in Frankfurt. Volkswagen (FVOW) was off 0.2 percent while DaimlerChrysler (FDCX) fell 0.8 percent. 
-- from staff and wire reports
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