Japanese automakers post gains in quarter.

Analysts attribute gains to a number of factors

L.A. COUNTY - The first quarter of 1996 was highly successful for locally based sales divisions of Asian automakers, with some posting extraordinarily robust gains.

Overall Japanese auto and truck sales in the U.S. were up 5.3 percent for

For the moment at least, analysts attributed the strong market to several factors, including the increase in volume and dollar amount of income tax refunds this year, heftier vehicle rebates and a weaker yen, which lowers sticker prices on imported vehicles.

"The Japanese automakers are recovering because the currency exchange has moderated, and also because more production has been shifted to North America," said Jesse Snyder, president of Snyder Research, a Moorpark-based consulting firm. "And that shifted production is concentrated on basic, high-volume products."

Torrance-based American Honda Motor Co. was by far the biggest gainer, with total car and truck sales of 197,440 for the quarter, up 19.4 percent from a year before. Sales of its bread-and-butter Accord and Civic sedans were up 22.6 and 18 percent, respectively. Its Acura luxury division, which struggled last year, posted an increase of 11.1 percent, driven mostly by its new TL and RL sedans.

Honda sales rising

Momentum for Honda was aimed upward at the end of the quarter, as its total sales for March were up 25.1 percent, making that its best March ever. Acura sales gained 13.4 percent.

Sales at Torrance-based Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. totaled 261,032 cars and trucks, up 7.2 percent, its best first quarter in company history. Sales at its Lexus luxury division, which were sluggish for most of 1995, were behind last year by 6.4 percent.

However, Toyota's March sales were up 29.4 percent, its best March ever. Lexus sales were up 5.8 percent.

City of Industry-based American Isuzu Motors, which markets trucks and sports utilities and saw 1995 sales slump 14 percent, boosted sales 5.3 percent for the quarter, although they were down 7.9 percent for March.

Total sales at Gardena-based Nissan North America were up only 3 percent, with 183,367 cars and trucks sold, and were down 5.5 percent in March. Nissan's Infiniti luxury division, which had strong results for much of 1995, proved a drag on the overall corporate numbers, with sales down 25.5 percent, although they were down only 12.2 percent in March.

Scarcity of new models

Snyder blamed the drop in Lexus and Infiniti to a lack of new product. He also noted that Lexus' one new product, the LX 450 sports utility, was hard to come by, with sales totaling only 671 in March.

And despite the reasons for optimism, analysts are skeptical the sales surge will last.

Jack Kirnan, an analyst with New York-based investment banking firm Salomon Bros., predicted at the New York Auto Show earlier this month that an increase in both while collar layoffs and interest rates will slow the sales pace by mid-year.

Snyder concurred: "The year is shaping up to he its good as last year, but I'm not sure how long that's going to continue. I still wouldn't be surprised to see some softness in the auto market because people are still nervous in job security, and they're delaying auto and housing purchases."