The last time the market reached a similar volume was June 2012 and the last time such growth was reported was January 2012, when the market rose 86%.
Out of the 40 car brands sold in Romania, only six posted lower sales. The volume brands saw the highest increases this time, instead of premium and luxury brands as in the previous years.
Ford posted the biggest rise in sales in June, tripling the number of cars registered to more than 600. Dacia, too, climbed in the growth ranking to the fourth position, with an increase of 182% on June 2013 to more than 2,500 cars. The only premium brand among the top performers by growth was Lexus, which sold three cars instead of one.
The June registration figures come after strong sales in March and April, more than 6,000 new cars in each of the two months, while registrations stood at fewer 5,000 units.
On the other hand, the 2013 clunkers program started in June, which influenced sales in May 2013, generating a wait-and-see effect and making June 2013 a slow month for registrations. This year, the program started in March and made a direct impact on sales to individual customers, which went up from 15% in the first quarter towards 41% of the total in May.
“Almost 10,000 vouchers were used in the first three months of the ‘Rabla’ (clunkers) program, which means an average of at least 3,000 cars per month. Judging from the reports, new car sales rose in April and May, compared with the same time last year, as the program made a positive impact on the auto market,” said Environment Minister Attila Korodi.
On the other hand, the officials of the Automotive Manufacturers and Importers Association (APIA) believe the effect of the clunkers program will wane over time.
New car registrations were up in the first half compared with the year-ago period, but the figures are far from those of 2007 and 2008. New car registrations have been unable to overshoot the 40,000-unit mark since the first half of 2009.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)