Hyundai Motor Company maintained its domestic and export sales growth in October despite global economic and political uncertainty. With just two months of the year remaining overall sales figures are more than six per cent ahead of 2000 at 1,353,737 compared to 1,273,242. During October itself, the total sales figure of 144,104 vehicles was up by 2.3 per cent on last year`s monthly total of 140,813. Preparations for new models Despite factory closures during the late summer for the installation of new production lines to prepare for the manufacture of new models for export markets and all-new vehicles next year, Hyundai Motor Company has stayed ahead of sales in 2000 in both domestic and export markets. At the end of the ten month period domestic sales totaled 604,806 compared to 559,441 - an increase of 8.1 per cent - and exports totaling 748,931 were 4.9 per cent of the 713,801 units shipped in the same period in 2000. One month figures showed that the domestic market performed strongly with sales up by 22 per cent from the 52,051 units sold last year to 63,779. Exports dropped slightly compared to a year ago - from 88,762 to 80,325 - but this fall was partially accounted for by the run-out of certain models. But the October sales were up by 1.4 per cent compared to September when 79,203 units were shipped. Total passenger car sales in the domestic market are up by 10.6 per cent for the year with 408,141 units sold compared to 368,933 in October last year. And bus and truck sales in Korea also continued their improvement with the 196,665 vehicles sold to the end of October compared to 190,508 in the ten month period last year.