It was the fifth consecutive monthly decline, a clear sign that the high-octane growth seen last year and early this year has stalled and may soon slip into reverse.

However, large producers such as Volkswagen have generally fared better than the small players like Dongfeng Motors and Brilliance China Automotive.

Sales of the top five producers - whose sales accounted for nearly 60 percent of the total - rose 22 percent last month.

Volkswagen reported flat sales for last month in its joint ventures with Shanghai Automobile Industry Corp and First Auto Works.

The two Volkswagen joint ventures took back their Number 1 and Number 2 positions, lost in June to GM-SAIC, and the joint venture between Honda and the Guangzhou municipal government, respectively.

(CRI.com August 11, 2004)