While the annual selling rate, or SAAR, is still a pitiful 11.8 million, car sales in Western Europe grew by 10% in March to 1.4 million. The EU car sales market continues to slowly expand, up 7.4% for Q1 of 2014.
The UK was critical because of the outdated annual license plate change, no surprise since they still support a monarchy there, where sales grew by 17.7% to 465,000. The overall selling rate climbed to 2.5 million units/year, helped by the ongoing rapid growth in private sales. UK private sales were up 20.8% in March.
In the all-important German economy, which is the largest in the EU and subsidized by U.S. taxpayers – sales were up by 5.4% to 296,000. Year-to-date the market mirrors the month – sales up by 5.6% to 712,000.
France, Italy and Spain were all up, year-on-yea. High unemployment continues to be a problem, according to consultancy LMC Automotive.
The Spanish market (80,000 in March, 202,000 ytd) continues to expand because of the government subsidies that will likely continue real economic factors begin to support sales.
In Italy, the selling rate climbed a little (to 1.35 million units/year at 139,000 in March and 376,000 ytd).
France’s monthly SAAR stood at 1.8 million units/year, 180,000 in March and 467,000 ytd. This is an ongoing disaster. Let them eat cake…
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, publisher (kzhw@aol.com), 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.
Zino is at home on test tracks, knows his way around U.S. Congressional hearing rooms, auto company headquarters, plant floors, as well as industry research and development labs where the real mobility work is done. He can quote from court decisions, refer to instrumented road tests, analyze financial results, and profile executive personalities and corporate cultures.
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 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.
