It is not clear if the Vietnamese motorbike industry is coming or going.

The government’s strong measures to restrict personal car usage have bothered industry insiders.

Ford Vietnam has opened its 15th dealership in the northern province of Quang Ninh in an effort to expand its presence in the domestic market.

Ten days since Hanoi raised parking fees, many car owners have groaned for paying hundred of thousands VND of fee a day.

Taking on the post of Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (VAMA) chairman from January 1, Laurent Charpentier - also Ford Vietnam managing director, tells VIR about difficulties and challenges facing Vietnam-based auto firms.

Many auto firms are worried the auto sales decline that began in 2011 will continue and even worsen this year.

With the Circular No 20 which stipulates strict regulations on the procedures for importing cars, experts believe that only the products to be distributed by authorized resellers can go through the border.

Ford Vietnam on Thursday announced its full-year sales for 2011 jumped 34% year-on-year to nearly 8,700 units, representing Ford’s all-time best annual performance in Vietnam.

The latest report of the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers Association (VAMA) showed a slight drop of 1% in auto sales last year against 2010, with some 110,900 vehicles sold by VAMA members. The downtrend beginning last year is believed by several auto firms to continue and even worsen in 2012, now that the economy will hardly escape internal and external woes unscathed while new policies make owning a new car more costly.

Ultra-luxury carmaker Rolls-Royce is looking to expand into Thailand and Vietnam, a top executive said Wednesday, after it posted record sales in 2011 with Asia its fastest-growing market.