Declines in Greece, Russian, Brazil and Argentina are not affecting overall global sales as other markets prosper.
Global sales of light vehicles in August tallied 6.6 million units with the selling rate moving back up to 88.3 million units on an annual basis. Early data for China showed the market contracting only slightly to 1.7 million. Analysts at LMC Automotive after July sales thought China was going to continue its decline. They weren’t alone.
Helping a newfound optimism for global sales during the balance of the year were strong results in the US (running at 18 million annually) and West European markets (800,000 or +10%) in spite of Greece – remained solid. However, the Russian (-19% y-o-y) and Brazilian markets (falling below 2.3 million annually) continued to suffer.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
