MOTORS NEWS: NEW CAR SALES to the end of November are down 62.2 per cent, with only 520 new cars sold last month. The total new cars registered for the year up to Monday was 57,156.
Ford remains the biggest selling brand of the shrunken new car market with sales of 8,086, followed by Toyota with 7,565. Volkswagen is third with 6,159. For the same period last year Ford recorded sales of 19,006, while Toyota sold 21,312. VW’s sales were 15,868.
In terms of the premium market Audi dominates with 2,378 new cars sold over the first 11 months, followed by Mercedes with 1,367, Volvo has had sales of 760, Lexus recorded sales of 215, while Land Rover new car sales stood at just 89, compared with 1,402 for the same 11-month period in 2008.
According to the SIMI’s Alan Nolan: “As it gets closer to year end, we look back on a year that has seen more than 70 garage closures and the loss of more than 11,000 jobs. Six businesses in the motor industry closed in November alone. The recent closure of the highly respected and long-established EP Mooney dealership group has highlighted the need for some urgent stimulus for car sales.
“Looking ahead to next year, with no pick up in the economy projected, we are looking at an industry which could lose half its remaining workforce. The introduction of a scrappage scheme in next week’s Budget is imperative for the survival of the Irish motor industry and the protection of the 35,000 remaining jobs.”
Imported used car registrations for the year to date were 48,596, 20.1 per cent down on the same period last year.