Toyota Motor Europe has asked the European Automobile Manufacturers Association for membership.

Toyota would be the first Japanese manufacturer to become a member of the ACEA, which represents 13 European manufacturers and the European subsidiaries of GM and Ford.

The request was submitted in mid-January to the ACEA through Toyota Motor Europe, which is based like the ACEA in Brussels.

Toyota sold 920,000 new vehicles in Europe in 2004, and expects European sales this year to reach 980,000 units.

Last month, the ACEA reported that Japanese vehicle sales in Europe totalled 1.91 million in 2004, up 5.8% from the previous year and hitting a record high for the second straight year.