Provisional figures just published for the period January-June 2001 show new-car
sales in Ireland are down compared to the same period of 2000 (129,194 units this
year compared to179, 034 last year) but they are ahead of the 1999 mid-year result
of 124,914 units. Within the industry a comparison with 1999 is regarded as more
valid.

‘The so-called Millennium Effect and the Double Zero number-plate produced
the biggest new-car market ever seen here, a wonderful and unprecedented result
for our industry, but it was a freak year’, according to Fiat Auto Ireland’s
new CEO Paolo Gagliardo. He points out that most industry observers and analysts
now predict that the market this year will be more in line with a steady trend
of growth started in the early ’90s. According to Gagliardo, ‘This consistent
upward trend reflects the increasing affluence in the country and I believe
that the year will close with total sales somewhere between 160-165,000 units.
That would be another great year for new car sales’.

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Over the first six months of the current year sales declined by 27% compared
to 2000, but sales are 3.3% better than for the first half year in 1999. ‘The
normal seasonality of the Irish market -with the vast majority of sales recorded
in the first half year – will come into play again his year and therefore we
are fairly confident of our predictions. However in 1999 the year ended very
strongly so we reckon that we are unlikely to reach the total of over 174,000
recorded that year’, Gagliardo commented.

The ‘Top 10’ for the six-month period Jan.- June 2001 (with sales percentage
change on the first half of 2000) were:-

Marque
Market
Share
Unit
Sales
%
Change
1.Ford
11.4%
14,673
-28.1
2.Toyota
10.6%
13,728
-29.5
3.Nissan
10.4%
13,478
-31.0
4.
VW
10.2%
13,220
-18.8
5.
Opel
9.4%
12,092
-31.3
6.Renault
6.6%
8,560
-23.6
7.
FIAT
6.6%
8,510
-35.3
8.
Peugeot
4.9%
6,288
-14.8
9.Hyundai
2.9%
3,734
-37.0
10.M.-Benz
2.8%
3,560
+5.6%

To view related research reports, please follow the links
below:-

The
world’s car manufacturers: A financial and operating review

Automotive
regional report: Western Europe

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