The main reason is the extended financial crisis, Valmar said. Given the authorities’ projections for economic growth in 2012, sales of 100,000 units can be expected next year, he added.
Sales of commercial vehicles will rise this year, compared with 2010, as companies tend to renew their car fleets.
Valmar stated the government’s scrappage program needs to stop in the near future, since it is an “artificial” car market, but its elimination should be correlated with a program to stop imports of used cars. “Still, it is obvious that the program will be useful at least next year as well,” said Valmar, who is also general manager of importer Porsche Romania.
The importer’s sales should reach 22,500 units by the end of the year, around 10% higher than in 2010.
Last year, 106,000 cars were sold in Romania, a decline of 18% against 2009.