The doldrums of summer haven't dampened the demand for our cars and trucks. Confidence in the economy still remains strong and continues to drive consumer demand for big-ticket items.

Honda and Acura continue to demonstrate positive sales growth, despite an overall lukewarm economy. It all comes back to product, and consumers continue to respond positively to our core vehicles.

It may be tough for the industry to top 1999, but for right now we're just going to enjoy it. Light trucks were the driving force behind the market growth last year. We expect more of the same this year and we're ready for continued growth with the introduction of our new Acura SUV this fall.

Despite fierce competition in a declining segment, sales of the all-new Civic continue to post gains. In addition, with best-ever monthly sales of more than 6,500 units, Ridgeline posted sales gains in 10 of the last 11 months to finish the year on target.

As the Civic has gradually moved up-market, it has left room in our lineup for a new entry-level model. With the introduction of Fit in April and all-new CR-V this fall, along with continued momentum from the new Civic and other key models, we're projecting Honda Brand sales of around 1.3 million in 2006, which would make it our 11th consecutive record year.

While we are disappointed with the Federal District court's decision, we remain confident that the courts will ultimately sustain our position that Republic's buying binge is bad for American Honda's dealers and customers and violates American Honda's rights.

Surpassing the 200,000-unit sales mark is a huge milestone for Acura. The outlook for 2006 looks even brighter as we kick off Acura's 20th anniversary.

Even though our April sales were off slightly, it was still one of the 10 best sales months in American Honda history.

We are enjoying strong, consistent car sales and good growth in our light-truck segments. And we expect this trend to continue in 2006 as we enter new segments and introduce new versions of some of our most popular models.