August Sales Figures - down 42%

rocky

Figures from the motor industry show that new car sales fell sharply again in August after a slight pick-up in July.

The Society of the Irish Motor Industry said 5,252 new cars were sold in the month, down almost 42% from the 8,991 in the same month last year.

Sales for the first eight months of the year were down almost 17% to 145,643 compared with the same period in 2007.
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SIMI director general Alan Nolan said that, at this stage, it looked like car sales for the year would come to around 150,000, which would be the lowest figure since 2004.

http://www.rte.ie/business/2008/0901/cars.html

VH

2004 wasnt a bad year all in - 1986 was a bad year

E92

Holy crap - the market really is fu**** at this stage.

That really is a complete disaster after the recent VRT changes, and I fear that there's worse to come on the horizon in December when the VRT rates are likely to get a hike due to the ever worsening financial situation in the country.

Nothing is going to happen until January now at this stage.

A lot of people will be out of jobs if this continues.

Anyone know what the actual stats for August are?

As in what manufacturers are doing well and what ones are doing not so well?

TheDriver

i would presume an increase in vrt won't come in Jan 1st but rather later in year to help sales?

Tipsy Mac

I'd assume anyone with a brain would hold off in buying a new car until January, otherwise half a years depreciation is lost on purchase alone this time of the year. I'd say the weather for the summer hasn't helped sales either.

RedorDead

Top 10 for August here with last years figures in brackets

1. Toyota - 581 (1271)
2. VW - 507 (965)
3. Ford - 483 (1224)
4. BMW - 482 (355)
5. Opel - 463 (648)
6. Audi - 359 (322)
7. Skoda - 269 (354)
8. Nissan - 204 (540)
9. Kia - 192 (189)
10. Hyundai - 182 (285)

Total Mkt 5264 (8848)

Only brands to sell more than last year were Alfa Romeo, Audi, BMW, Kia, Mitsu and Subaru.

Stevie Dakota

Those figures make interesting reading, Ford down 60% on this time last year, and with an extensive diesel lineup....tough times ahead for sure.

Biro

Tipsy Mac wrote: »

I'd assume anyone with a brain would hold off in buying a new car until January, otherwise half a years depreciation is lost on purchase alone this time of the year. I'd say the weather for the summer hasn't helped sales either.

It doesn't really work like that. Sometimes August can be the best month to buy a car. Your trade in is worth more than it will be in January, and come the new year dealers will have plenty of customers. In August they won't have as many, so they'll be much more keen to do a good deal.
Good chance you'll end up winning.
At the moment though, no one is doing good August deals, because the forecourts are full of 2nd hand's.

Padraig Mor

Tipsy Mac wrote: »

I'd assume anyone with a brain would hold off in buying a new car until January, otherwise half a years depreciation is lost on purchase alone this time of the year. I'd say the weather for the summer hasn't helped sales either.

I'd be expecting a nasty VRT surprise for January buyers in the Budget!

L1011

Biro wrote: »

At the moment though, no one is doing good August deals, because the forecourts are full of 2nd hand's.

Theres room for a deal if you're not trading in - I was one of the few people who did buy a new car in August

Ice_Box

MYOB wrote: »

Theres room for a deal if you're not trading in - I was one of the few people who did buy a new car in August

What did you get myob and how much and where and what colour? (if you don't mind me asking)

R.O.R

Stevie Dakota wrote: »

Those figures make interesting reading, Ford down 60% on this time last year, and with an extensive diesel lineup....tough times ahead for sure.

I think one of Ford's major problems is availability. There is such a demand for the 1.6Tdci engine that Ford have replaced it with the 1.8Tdci in the Focus for the time being, but even those are coming through slowly.

I've had a Diesel Zetec Focus on order since early July and it still isn't built yet. Checked availability in any colour and there is nothing available in the country. Focus would make up a major part of their new car sales so it must be very frustrating for the dealers to not have any to sell.

Stevie Dakota

I was given the same story when looking for my Focus, hens teeth at the moment. It's hard to believe that in a depressed market, with the only cars in demand being diesels that Ford can't supply enough cars. As usual though the UK gets looked after first and we get whatever is left.

ismynametoolong

You are now begining to see a true picture of the market situation
now that July 1st has passed. A lot of the figures that were propping up the first 6 months of the year were forced registrations I.e cars that distributors and dealers had in stock and dare not carry past July and many are still sitting in storage around the country, indeed there may be difficult times ahead for us all while the greens are chomping at the table go back to feeding them crumbs I say !

Padraig Mor

Stevie Dakota wrote: »

I was given the same story when looking for my Focus, hens teeth at the moment. It's hard to believe that in a depressed market, with the only cars in demand being diesels that Ford can't supply enough cars. As usual though the UK gets looked after first and we get whatever is left.

I heard a (totally unconfirmed) rumour that Ford won't bring in the 1.6 TDCI Focus until they shift all the 1.4 petrols they still have.

TheDriver

Padraig Mor wrote: »

I'd be expecting a nasty VRT surprise for January buyers in the Budget!

The Govt would only screw themselves if they did that as garage jobs would be well gone and they can't introduce a change that quickly either. They want people to spend, not save their money so if people buy cars with lower vrt, its better than less cars with high vrt, greens won't allow a change too quickly anyways.

superjosh9

Well, what was it a €2.8 Billion deficit to make up now? And VRT etc. not bringing in the cash?

I am very worried come the next Budget. At least they brought more people into the goverment though, I'd say that was money really well spent. :rolleyes:

****ers.

Wonder who they'll hit next...

Johnny Utah

I'd say motor tax will go up, especially bands A to D.

VH

€9.1 billion surplus in 2006 to no surplus or a defecit for 2008 - all tax heads down - unemployment up to 6.1% - the biggest jump in history - expected to be 8% next year

expect the govt to claw money from anywhere, VRT included

superjosh9

VH wrote: »

€9.1 billion surplus in 2006 to no surplus or a defecit for 2008 - all tax heads down - unemployment up to 6.1% - the biggest jump in history - expected to be 8% next year

expect the govt to claw money from anywhere, VRT included

Well, I reckon they might back-date the tax - i.e, suddenly people with the 'old' motor-tax system will be on the new one. So, all those that rushed out to buy the big engines before July will be crucified. It's the cruel thing to do - so that's why I suspect they'll do it.

And yeh I agree, sure they might as well make an adjustment to the A-G bands, shift it one notch up each way so that G become €4000, F €2000, E €1000.. etc.

Place your bets! Twas one of the reasons I decided not to get a new car in the end - I want to see what they decide to do next!!!

E92

Padraig Mor wrote: »

I heard a (totally unconfirmed) rumour that Ford won't bring in the 1.6 TDCI Focus until they shift all the 1.4 petrols they still have.

I wouldn't be surprised if this was true. After all they did bring in the Mk3 Focus with it initially.

Some dealers are giving over €3k off for any fool dumb enough to buy a new 1.4 Focus.

The 1.6 is still sold in the UK and in the rest of Europe, a bit co-incidental that while dealers are trying desperately to get rid of 1.4 Focuses that nobody wants, the 1.6 diesel with band A VRT isn't available:rolleyes::mad:!

I *believe* that Toyota are quoting 3 months of a waiting list for a new Corolla diesel too.

I have absolutely NO sympathy for the manufacturers for having these supply "problems":rolleyes:.

They have known since early LAST DECEMBER about this, in other words they had 7 months to plan for this, and it only takes 3 months for a car to go from entering production to being available for delivery, yet they tell us that there is "supply issues":rolleyes:. What a load of bull. That really isn't good enough, at all.

The Irish car market badly needs more discerning buyers that won't take this absolute crap. I mean we're a tiny, tiny market, so making a few hundred extra diesels a year when cars sell in their hundreds of thousands, is really a negligible amount.

Stevie Dakota

E92 wrote: »

I mean we're a tiny, tiny market, so making a few hundred extra diesels a year when cars sell in their hundreds of thousands, is really a negligible amount.

And therein is the crux if the problem, we're a small market and we'll always be treated like second class citizens and get whatever is left over once the bigger markets have been catered for.

E92

Stevie Dakota wrote: »

And therein is the crux if the problem, we're a small market and we'll always be treated like second class citizens and get whatever is left over once the bigger markets have been catered for.

In fairness Ford are far from the worst, no that honour is reserved for VW who won't be offering the Bluemotion Passat, Touran and Sharan until 2009 at the earliest even though the Bluemotion Passat went on sale at the start of this year. We're also not offered the Bluemotion Polo which went on sale last year elsewhere in Europe, and for some perverse reason we don't get offered the 70 bhp version of the 1.4 TDI either. Similarly Seat and Skoda haven't been offering Eco versions of cars that are available elsewhere.

Volvo are also guilty of this, we don't get the 2.4D S60 and S80 either.

VW also couldn't supply enough TSI Golfs either, I'm hoping that there will be a sea change in behaviour when VW start importing the cars themselves.

junkyard

The only way to help the country at this time is to cut taxes, not put them up, in the hope that it will encourage consumer confidence. If they screw this up, like they seem to be doing with everthing else, we are well and truly f*cked I'm sorry to say.:(.

craichoe

VH wrote: »

€9.1 billion surplus in 2006 to no surplus or a defecit for 2008 - all tax heads down - unemployment up to 6.1% - the biggest jump in history - expected to be 8% next year

expect the govt to claw money from anywhere, VRT included

9.1 billion surplus with ... how much national debt ? .... in 2006
How much in natural resources do we have ... none ?
Unemployment up to 6.1% ? Because why . Unemployment has never been down since circa 1980

Give me a break .. if you think this is about CARS .. you are sorely mistaken.

If we take your argument and apply it to any recession, its the house prices that go last right ?

How much is stamp duty on houses .... and how much does a house cost ?

Do you think thats going to create a hole in OUR pocket.

I find it comical the way people refer to the government as them, because at the end of the day its our money, we are only giving out about who we voted in, in the first place.

It BeeMee

E92 wrote: »

I'm hoping that there will be a sea change in behaviour when VW start importing the cars themselves.

Apologies for O/T, but when is this due to happen?

Back on topic, this from the Irish Times Website:

Irishtimes.com wrote:

Car sales slump across Europe

It's not just the Irish new car market that is taking a beating these days.

While Irish sales recorded a fall of 16.7 per cent for the year to the end of August, new car sales in Spain, France and Italy are also falling in a further sign that European consumers are putting off purchases of big-ticket goods.

Spanish car sales fell by 41.3 per cent in August, their sharpest decline this year. Data from Anfac, the industry group showed a drop in showroom traffic across regions, attesting to the depth and breadth of Spain's housing-led slowdown cutting through the economy.

In Italy, car sales fell by more than 26 per cent last month. However, analysts said the year-on-year drop was accentuated by unusually strong sales a year ago, as drivers took advantage of tax breaks on lower-emission cars.

Car sales in France were down by 7.1 per cent year on year last month, according to CCFA, the industry group.

JD Power and CSM Worldwide, a rival forecaster, expect Spanish car sales to end the year down by about 25 per cent.

Italy's car market is expected to end the year down about 15 per cent, and forecasters predict the slump in many big European markets to last into 2009. "It's going to take a while for consumers to be motivated to purchase vehicles," said Walt Madeira, head of the European sales forecast at CSM.

It's not just Ireand this is happening, so the VRT changes can't be blamed for everything...