Domestic sales of vehicles excluding minivehicles could fall below 3 million this year, Yoichi Amano, head of the Japan Automobile Dealers Association, said Monday.

The estimate compares with 3.21 million sales in 2008, a 34-year low and nearly half of the peak level in 1990.

The estimate by the auto dealers' group contrasts with 3.007 million sales projected by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association.

The projections show that the group of dealers, who deal with customers face to face, is more pessimistic than manufacturers.