'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'.

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:-