Italian car orders slump 35% in first 10 days of September
 |
Reprints
Print
Respond
MILAN (Reuters) -- Car orders in Italy fell 35 percent in the first 10 days of September compared with the same period last year, as continued economic uncertainty kept consumers out of car showrooms, the president of the Italian foreign carmakers' association UNRAE told Reuters.
"The de-motorization trend continues. I think we could see a fall of some 20 to 25 percent in sales in September," Jacques Bousquet said on the sidelines of a conference.
Car sales in France and Italy continued their downward trend in August as Mediterranean countries bear the brunt of the euro-zone debt crisis and its withering effect on consumer demand. In contrast, sales in Spain rose slightly last month as consumers rushed to avoid the introduction of a sales tax that was introduced at the beginning of September.
Bousquet said UNRAE expects car sales in Italy this year to come in at abut 1.45 million vehicles, compared with 1.75 million the previous year.
"There is no reason at the moment to think that things will go that much better in 2013," he said.
Earlier this month, figures released by the automotive think tank Promotor showed that sales in Italy dropped 20 percent to 56,447 units last month, a level not seen since 1964 and the ninth consecutive double-digit fall in the market.
Through August, new-car orders have plunged 22 percent to 921,000.
Automotive News Europe contributed to this report
Contact Automotive News
