Car sales rose by a little more than 3% in the third quarter compared with the same time last year, and reached 26,000 units. The growth comes after sales picked up speed in July and August by 8% and 10%, while going down by 6% in September to 9,100 cars. The market trend therefore goes against “tradition,” as dealers used to expect slower sales in July and August, followed by a rise in September.
“It is very difficult to reach the estimated 100,000 unit level; our estimate for this year is 90,000 to 95,000 cars and 13,500 utility vehicles. There is a strong feeling of uncertainty created by the pessimistic economic forecasts, by the instability of the euro zone, by the total lack of signals showing a rebound both in Europe and in our country,” says Dana Cortina, general manager of Porsche Inter Auto, the retail division of Porsche Holding in Romania, which owns five centers on the local market, four of which in Bucharest and one in Timisoara.
As for Porsche Inter Auto, which sells such brands as VW, Audi, Skoda, Seat and Porsche, the company’s boss expects sales to go up 30% compared with last year, as all the brands have seen their market share increase.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)