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WESTERN EUROPE
Weaker April car sales fuel fears of slowing European recovery
April sales rose by a markedly slower than earlier expected 3.6 per cent

Published: Thu, 08 May 2014 15:57:03 GMT
 

VW Golf Estate Variant dealer collection

The 1.05 million cars sold last month in Western Europe’s economically rejuvenated markets may have been short of what the autoindustry had wanted, but the eighth straight monthly gain in regional car sales still suggests that this year’s eventual final car sales tally may still beat most earlier conservative estimates by some margin

April sales of cars in Western Europe rose by a markedly slower than earlier expected 3.6 per cent, pulled down chiefly by a 3.6 per cent drop in Germany, followed in turn by lower April sales in five of the 18 West Europe’s markets regularly monitored by AID’s trend-watchers. 

The latest single-digit rise brings the region’s cumulative car sales total to 4.18m after 4-months, up 6.3 per cent, according to provisional AID estimates.

+3.6%
April car sales in Western Europe compared to the same period last year (AID estimates)


Lower than earlier expected new car sales this April point to a slowing in the region’s underlying car sales recovery, overturning widespread earlier hopes of a markedly faster than earlier feared car sales recovery. 

However, talk of a likely turning point may be premature. 

That’s partly because of a statistical distortion by calendar differences. 

It suggests that April’s markedly slower rate of recovery growth was due at least partly because there was one fewer working day in the month than in April last year. 

Other than that, April’s 3.6 per cent rise in car sales marks West Europe’s 8th successive gain in a row.

The only fall in demand, among major countries, occurred in Germany. 

Other than that, only the Netherlands, Austria and Switzerland, as well as Norway and Finland reported lower sales during April
...more 


MORE LIKE THIS:


> Opel-Vauxhall sales show signs of turning the corner  07 Mar 2014


> Spring is in the air for West Europe’s car market  06 Mar 2014


> Off to a good start in January  10 Feb 2014


DATA AVAILABLE TO SUBSCRIBERS WITH THIS ARTICLE:

EUROPEAN new CAR sales:

by country
APRIL 2014 v APRIL
2013
4-MOnths 2014 v 4-Months 2013

WEST EUROPEAN new CAR sales:

by manufacturer and marque
APRIL 2014 v APRIL 2013
4-MOnths 2014 v 4-Months 2013

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