The average backlog at new-vehicle dealerships dropped to an 80-day supply last month from a record high of 444 days in February, with most dealerships reopened and showroom traffic steadily recovering.
Average March stockpiles at stores marketing luxury brands and imported foreign brands declined to a 76-day supply, from 389 days a month earlier, according to the China Automobiles Dealers Association.
Inventories at dealerships stocking Chinese brands fell to a 78-day supply from 401 days the previous month.
The average backlog at stores marketing domestically built, foreign mass-market brands also slipped to an 83-day supply from 486 days in February.
To slow the spread of the coronavirus epidemic that broke out in the central China city of Wuhan, Beijing extended the Chinese New Year holiday by an extra week to Feb. 9.
Most car dealerships remained closed for the rest of the month as consumers avoided shopping for fear of catching the virus.
With the viral outbreak largely contained in China in early March, 96 percent of new-car dealerships had reopened, with showroom traffic at 64 percent of normal levels as of March 31, according to the dealers association.