European sales set to tumble

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1 min read

6 November 2009

Western European New car sales shot up by 16.5 per cent in October compared with a year earlier.

However, industry analysts are predicting a fall of up to 10 per cent across the whole of 2010 as the beneficial effects of scrappage schemes come to an end.

UK car sales up 31.6 per cent

Figures from Germany say that, so far in 2009, sales are up 25.9 percent but that the country’s hugely successful scrappage scheme end in September. Other European scrappage schemes, including the one in the UK, will also end before 2010.

According to JD Power figures quoted by just-auto, analysts expect Western European car sales to drop from 13.4m units this year to 12m units next year.

Adding to the bleak outlook, the analysts also predict that growth in Western European new car sales in 2011 will be in ‘single digits’.

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sorrel 7 November 2009

Re: European sales set to tumble

Notiron wrote:
The CEE countries are far, far more underdeveloped than Western Europe.

Yes, many years of communist stagnation will do that!

But, you know something, as with Russia (where I spend a lot of time) they're catching up fast and unlike us lazy g*ts in the "west" they work hard and want to improve their lot which I think will pay off in the not too distant future... Watch out Western Europe!

Notiron 7 November 2009

Val - I think you've misunderstood what I was saying. Anyone who goes to Poland (Warsaw especially) will understand what I am saying. I travel there all the time and, yes, you're right about the economy but the trip in from the airport to the centre of town tell you all you need to know about whether there's any communism left there : row upon row upon row of horrid concrete flats. As a contrast from Poland's economy which, as you say, is growing largely off the back of the 2012 football finals and EU investment, if you go to Romania (as I have) you will see quite a phenomenal difference. MUCH less westernised. Even Hungary, which is quite westernised has an economy which is subject to an IMF loan and, frankly, in the shitter. Communism wasn't really my point. The point was that anyone who thinks that Europe is one great big level market is talking nonsense. The CEE countries are far, far more underdeveloped than Western Europe.

val. 7 November 2009

Notiron wrote:

Richard, I think you might be a bit of a pseudo. In theory, you're right but anyone who actually trades with the former eastern bloc countries knows that the contrary is in fact the case in reality. There very much still is an Eastern Europe. A wall coming down, even 20 years ago, is just a symbol. Sure, there are shades of westernism (if that's a word) across the CEE countries but nevertheless they are all communist (with a small 'c') in one way or another still. Decades of underinvestment and limited supply of what the world wants to buy will do that for you. Old habits die very hard indeed.

Just shows how much you know. UK is still in recesion, Poland, for one is still growing, and car sales have been increasing year on year. Get your facts right before slagging of central european countries for being communist (even with a small "c"). eg. UK GDP last Quarter -0.4 Poland's GDP same period +0.8.

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