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The showroom result last month was down by a worrying 23.9 per cent over April of 2008, the worst in percentage terms since the global economic crisis began to bite in the final quarter of last year.
But some carmakers are forecasting the end of the slide and a slow but steady upswing from May and June, helped by the government's investment allowance and the traditional end-of-financial-year sales burst.
The official industry volume for April was 63,965 vehicles, down by 20,096, according to Vfacts figures made public at noon.
The year-to-date decline is now 20.3 per cent, as the running total of 276,935 trails by 70,579 over the first four months of last year.
Toyota continued its predictable run as Australia's number one brand, with 13,033 sales, but even it went backwards from a year earlier.
The only top-10 brand to improve its result was Hyundai, but its total was only 4136 for the month.
Top 10 brands for April:
1. Toyota - 13,033
2. Holden - 7829
3. Ford - 6836
4. Mazda - 5121
5. Hyundai - 4136
6. Nissan - 3724
7. Mitsubishi - 3145
8. Honda - 3000
9. Subaru - 2999
10. Volkswagen - 2160
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