ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Tuesday, March 19, 1996                TAG: 9603190076
SECTION: BUSINESS                 PAGE: B-6  EDITION: METRO 

ROANOKE REGIONAL ECONOMIC INDICATORS

New-car dealers in the Roanoke Valley recovered last month from a disastrous January, but registrations of new cars are still off for the first two months of the year.

The Virginia Automobile Dealers Association said 580 new cars were registered in the valley during February, including 292 sold in Roanoke, 234 in Roanoke County and 54 in Salem - up 7.2 percent from 541 in February 1995 and up 51 percent from January, with its heavy snows.

For the first two months, 964 cars were registered, down from 1,087 last year.

LENGTH: Short :   22 lines
ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC:  21 charts. color.