Scientists all over the world are in a mad scramble to find a vaccine against the vehicular flu, commonly called “motor malaise.” Now, Europe also finds itself in the grips of the pandemic. Today (Farago beat me to it), the European association of auto makers ACEA released their January through October numbers. Analysts from the automotive anorexia formerly known as America may envy the fact that from January to October, Europe (as defined by ACEA) fell only 5.4 percent to 12.852m units. Taking a closer look, we now know why the EU was so eager to enlarge eastwards. In the new easterly member states, there was at least an ittsy bit of growth, 2.5 percent for the first 10 months. Without the eastern comrades– make that members– the EU would be looking at an even heftier percentage-letting. Have a Maalox, or a stiff drink, and read on, if you dare ….
Whence came October, Europe got word of something called financial crisis, and people started to avoid the breeding grounds of the vehicular flu, previously called dealers’ showrooms. The result: a whopping 14.5 percent October downturn compared to the previous year. Tu felix Austria was the only Western European country to buck the dire October trend. Mountainous Austria was up four percent in October, probably in celebration of their tiny country being in control of mighty Volkswagen soon, or already, maybe not. Spain is Europe’s absolute beyond-salvage basket case, with an eye-popping loss of 54.6 percent in October. Ireland is in the reds to the tune of 40 percent. UK down 23 percent. Germany, 8.2 percent lower than the already weak October of last year. France, 7.4 percent down in October. For the first ten months, sales in Deutschland and neighboring Frankreich are relatively flat with +0.3 percent and + 2.2 percent, respectively.
If you want good news, go east, young man. The Polish market expanded in October 12.3 percent. From January to October, the Poles are up 9 percent – not a joke. The second biggest market in Europe’s East is Romania, but they screwed the idyllic picture by going down 10.6 percent in October. So where is the next shoe to drop? Lower car sales in Abu Dhabi? Entirely possible. Abu Dhabi’s National reports that even the sheiks “are cutting back their spending on luxury goods, overseas flights, eating out and entertainment.”
All perfectly rational behavior. People cut back in expectance of an economic crisis, and they purchase less when the supply of funny money is reduced. We’ll see a return to the long-term mean in two years at the latest, I would say.
“The Polish market expanded in October 12.3 percent.” – is this another Polish joke? Their economy can’t be ahead of German, French or UK.
I don’t know what the empty road on turkey’s boarder has to do with anything other than some utopia concerning how most people stuck in traffic everyday in most parts of Europe would like to see their roads…
Right here in the Netherlands it’s not so bad. In jan-okt 2007, 455.731 were sold. In the same time period for 2008, 454.921 were sold.
In oktober 2008, 41.330 cars were sold, compared to 41.888 cars in oktober 2007. This is after a series of bank bail outs by the government and the Icelandic government taking a lot of peoples’ and local governments’ (ouch) money. I’m not saying it won’t get bad in november/december but overall it seems to be quite ok.
Yearly car sales have been around 500000 (+-50000)in the Netherlands ever since about 1985, only in 1999 it was more than 600.000 and in 2000 almost 600.000.
@JJ: Proves again that the Netherlands are flat! Congratulations! And give my regards to Heer Pons. Keep it up, astublieft!
Ha…
Yes, highest elevation is 321 metres above sea level. And that’s on a slope of a mountain with it’s peak shared with Ze Zjermans and Belgium.
And if you mean the VW/Seat/Porsche/Audi/Skoda importer over here (Pon); I bet they are doing just fine. Not bad at all considering the older Pon started out going to Germany impersonating an English army lieutenant to get his hands on 12 Beetles to sell over here…
@JJ: Yes, that’s him. Sorry for misspelling the name of the true inventor of the VW bus, and friend of hippies worldwide.
my friends at work have told me that if i want to find really nice empty roads, i just need to go to east germany. :-P