French Auto Makers Latest to Scale Back Production

PARIS – French auto makers are joining the movement to reduce new-vehicle output in Europe.

PSA Peugeot Citroen announces a sharp cutback for the fourth quarter aimed at building 30% fewer cars in the last four months of 2008, compared with the previous year. Renault SA aims at a 20% production reduction in the fourth quarter.

PSA had 677,000 vehicles in inventory at the end of September, compared with 566,000 a year earlier, and it wants to pare that to 600,000 by the end of December.

In France, PSA will close its Sochaux factory for 13 extra days by the end of the year. It also will shutter its Hordain plant for 16 days, Mulhouse for at least 10 days and Rennes for eight days. The factory at Poissy has been running at half-speed since September.

In Spain, PSA will stop production for 15 days in Madrid and 12 days in Vigo. The Slovakian factory at Trnava will be subject to small adjustments.

However, PSA’s Czech factory in Kolin, shared with Toyota Motor Corp., will continue at full production, as sales of the Citroen C1 and Peugeot 107 remain strong.

Renault will close its French factories at Flins, Douai and Le Mans for two weeks and Maubeuge, Batilly, Dieppe, Cleon et Sandouville for one week. The Spanish factory of Valladolid will close for two weeks, and those in Turkey, Slovenia and Romania will shut down for one to two days.