Iranian carmakers manufactured over 934,000 cars in the first seven months of the current Iranian calendar year (ended October 22), showing 5.4 percent rise compared with the same period last year, the Pana news agency reported.

The managing director of Iran’s leading automotive group, Iran Khodro, said in October that the company’s average daily output has reached 3,100, which is a record for the domestic car industry.

Iran has developed its domestic car industry for five decades and produced 1.6 million vehicles last year, about half of them made by Iran Khodro which aims to export around 10 percent of its production this year, Reuters reported.

Even with sanctions, which have scared off some suppliers from exporting to Iran, Iran Khodro says sales rose 18 percent in 2010 and plans a 13 percent output increase this year to 860,000 vehicles.

----Iran sees 58 percent decline in car exports

Iran exported 8,816 cars to different countries in the first seven months of the current Iranian calendar year (began March 21, 2011), down 58 percent in comparison to the same period last year.

The total exports of car amounted to $46 million, showing 65 percent decrease compared to the last year’s figure, the Customs Administration data showed.

Iraq was the main importer of Iranian-made cars with importing 8,625 cars, the Pana news agency reported.

Iranian carmakers manufactured over 934,000 cars in the mentioned seven-month period of time, showing 5.4 percent rise compared with the same period last year.