Tag Archives: eurozone crisis

European Car Sales Down Again in June. EU Slump Continues

Posted on 5 July 2013 by Ken Zino

The drop was in stark contrast to the recovering U.S. auto market, which is within a year or two to obtaining pre-Great Depression levels and the booming Chinese market,which at 23 million or more units this year will once again be the world’s largest. Once again the specter stalking European politicians whose austerity policies induced the ongoing human tragedy, is the their leadership role in the unchecked decline, which much like the decline of European power after a generation was slaughtered during WW1 is looking to be structural and permanent. Continue reading →

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Western Europe Sales Slump Permanent?

Posted on 1 July 2013 by Ken Zino

“Flat is the new up in Western Europe,” claims John Hoffecker, co-president of AlixPartners. “Our models show Western European sales reaching a bottom of 12 million units in 2014, and largely remaining there for the foreseeable future – far from the historical peak of 2007, when 16.8 million units were sold. Continue reading →

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April EU Commercial Vehicle Sales Up Slightly. YTD off -7.6%

Posted on 29 May 2013 by Ken Zino

In a classic half empty or half-full interpretive dilemma, commercial vehicle sales in the EU increased 3.6% for the first time since December 2011. The uptick came mostly from demand for new vans (+5.8%). However, his year, the EU counted on average two more working days compared to the same month in 2012 because of how the Easter holiday fell. Continue reading →

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Volkswagen Group Q1 Profit Drops as Europe Mars Results

Posted on 30 April 2013 by Ken Zino

Volkswagen Group profits decreased to €2.3 billion in Q1, down from a record €3.2 billion a year earlier. Global deliveries increased by 4.8% to 2.3 million vehicles worldwide as the Group’s share of the passenger car market rose year-on-year to 12.6% from 12.2%. Continue reading →

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EU Cars Sales Drop 9% in August as Eurozone Crisis Continues

Posted on 18 September 2012 by Ken Zino

The crisis in the Eurozone continued unabated as new car sales dropped 9% in August year-over-year after declining by 7.8% in July. As a result, in the 27 countries that comprise the EU, sales dropped to 688,000 vehicles. Year-to-date sales are down to 8.3 million units, the lowest in decades and the fifth straight year of sales declines. Continue reading →

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Ford outlines its latest European Turnaround Plan to Dealers, Workers

Posted on 7 September 2012 by Ken Zino

At a meeting with 2,500 dealers and employees in Amsterdam last night, senior Ford Motor executives outlined the latest European turnaround plan for its loss-making Western European operations. Continue reading →

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Ford Motor Q2 Profit Plummets $1.4 Billion as Europe, South American and Asia Continue to Hurt Earnings and Shareholders

Posted on 27 July 2012 by Ken Zino

Ford Motor Company [NYSE: F] posted its 12th consecutive quarterly pre-tax operating profit this week based almost entirely on North American results. Weak to frankly disastrous performances in Ford’s global operations saw Q2 income drop to $1 billion, or 26 cents per share, a decrease of $1.4 billion from Q2 2011. Continue reading →

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Toyota France to Export Yaris to North America in 2013

Posted on 22 June 2012 by Ken Zino

Toyota Motor Manufacturing France announced today that as of May 2013, it will start building the Yaris compact car for export to the United States of America, Canada and Puerto Rico. The annual export volume is about 25,000 units. The surprising move is both a hedge against the strong Japanese Yen that makes exports form the land of the rising sun unprofitable, as well a defensive capacity move against the ongoing collapse of the Western European economy that has seen car sales plummet for five straight years with no end to the decline in sight. Continue reading →

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March, Q1 EU Sales Drop Again. Eurozone Crisis Continues

Posted on 17 April 2012 by Ken Zino

If this trend keeps up, and given contractionist policies of the EU governments, there is no reason to predict any economic stimulus, 2012 might see an even greater drop in auto sales than those incurred during the Great Recession in 2008-2009. Continue reading →

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Penske Automotive Group Expands to Northern Italy

Posted on 20 March 2012 by Ken Zino

Penske Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE:PAG) has formed a joint venture with Andrea Mantellini, the operator of a BMW/Mini dealer group located in Bologna, Italy. The joint venture intends to acquire and operate dealerships in northern Italy, Penske said in a news release today. Mantellini will manage day-to-day operations of the business. Financial terms were not disclosed. Penske appears to be buying a premium brand and entry into the market at presumably fire sale prices. Continue reading →

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EU Car Sales off 7% in January, Fifth Year of Declines?

Posted on 17 February 2012 by Ken Zino

EU car sales dropped yet again in January by 7.1% compared to a year ago, a troubling trend since car sales have declined for four straight years in the moribund European Union. The latest sales data from ACEA, the trade group of EU automakers, confirm what individual car company financial results have been indicating – the European economy continues to contract, and at rates greater than automakers anticipated as recently as last quarter or the quarter before that.

In total, 968,769 new registrations were recorded in the 26-nation EU region during January, which had on average one more working day than January 2011. Particularly hard hit were France (-20.7% for the second largest market) and Italy (-16.9% for the third largest market), with large negative consequences at PSA Group (-14.9%), Renault Group (-25.2%) and Fiat Group (-16.2 %.)

Germany (-0.4% for the largest EU market) and the United Kingdom (0% or flat for the fourth largest market) remained stable, with beneficial results for the biggest automaker in Europe, VW Group with its commanding 24% market share. Continue reading →

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Hyundai Joins ACEA as European Auto Sales Slump Continues

Posted on 17 January 2012 by Ken Zino

The irony is that European automakers remain opposed to the terms of the Korean FTA, which went into effect last July. Automobiles are now the largest export product of the South Korean economy. Its car industry with a production of 3 million cars per year, of which 2 million (64%) are exported – 300,000 of which were sent to the EU in 2010. ACEA points out that by contrast, 74% of cars produced in the EU are also registered in the EU. Because of its size and importance, the EU is a key target market for Korean manufacturers, but “uneven implementation will place the whole EU economy at a disadvantage,” according to the trade group. Continue reading →

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