Hard shoulder: EUROPEAN CAR firms and suppliers are bracing themselves for a bumpy road to recovery, which could last until 2011 and beyond, according to a survey of 300 executives.
While nearly 70 per cent of respondents to the Ernst Young survey expected their business situation to improve slightly in 2010, nearly one-third predicted a protracted return to sustained sales growth well into 2011.
The survey also reveals that more than 60 per cent fear that when state subsidies such as scrappage schemes end, sales will fall. They also see a dramatic shift in consumer tastes in the coming years towards smaller, cheaper cars.