New Car Sales January 2015

Irish car and van sales increased in 2014 and have continued to do so into January 2015 according to the latest figures from the SIMI. Car sales were up 30% to 29,948 units and light commercial vehicles were up  60% to 5,051 units vs January last year

Combining the figures for car & van sales, year to date Ford are on top with 4,515 units, Toyota are in 2nd with 4,282 and VW in 3rd with 4,166 units.

“Coming on the back (pffft!) of strong industry sales in 2014, these figures show that the turnaround is thankfully showing some endurance,” said Ford Ireland chief Ciaran McMahon. “Of course, we are delighted that Ford was the top-selling vehicle in the combined car and van market, but what is particularly heartening is the continued growth in the van sector and what that says about the economic recovery in Ireland. When company owners are confident enough to renew their van fleets, that points to ongoing economic growth for the country as a whole.”

This will be Ford's best January performance in eight years with their car sales up more than 38% and van sales up a mighty 130%.

“The indications are that the general market uplift will continue during 2015 – all of which augurs very well for the Ford brand, as the company has a range of new models hitting the showrooms this year including the new Mondeo and Focus which have recently arrived and new versions of the C-MAX, S-MAX, Galaxy and last but certainly not least, the all new Ford Mustang – first time that Irish customers will be able to buy a right-hand drive version of the iconic nameplate,” concluded McMahon.

Whilst Ford have 2 cars in the top-five best-selling models it's the ever popular Volkswagen Golf that tops the sales sheets

	Top Five Models Jan 2015	Units
1	VW Golf Range	1,549
2	Ford Focus Range	1,238
3	Toyota Corolla Range	1,025
4	Ford Fiesta Range	911
5	Hyundai IX35 Range	882

The Most Popular Car This Year?

Variety is the spice of life and now more than ever we have so much choice in what we can purchase. There's no shortage of choice when it comes to buying a car either, whether it's make, model, colour or price that is your priority.

It's interesting to see then, as a nation, what the most popular trends are for cars sold this year. Maybe you already guessed it, maybe looking around on the M50 while stuck in yet another traffic jam you noticed a trend in the cars surrounding you. Maybe we're not so different after all!

Just to note though, whatever your car choice, MicksGarage offers the widest range of car parts and accessories to keep you and your car happy!

This is just a highlight of the information. If you want to delve into the statistics yourself and see just how common or unique your own car is you can do this on SIMI under the BeepBeep Stats tab.

Written by Lisa, That's What She Said!

EXCHEQUER HAS GAINED EXTRA €171 MILLION FROM NEW CAR SALES THIS YEAR

Figures just released from SIMI (Society of the Irish Motor Industry) show that this year, new car registrations have generated an extra €171 million in revenue compared to the same period last year.

Car sales in August (4,873) were up 32% on August last year. So far this year, 89,279 new cars have been sold, an increase of 30% on 2013. The increase in registrations in July and August alone generated an additional €68 million for the Exchequer which brings the total for the year from new car sales to €720 million.

In addition, 4,200 new jobs have been created this year* as a result of the success of the dual registration plate and the overall increase in business.

Alan Nolan, Director General said, “The dual registration plate has really helped in spreading the sales through the year, which was the intention, but the real driver in increasing the registrations has been the level of growth in consumer demand, which has not been seen in the Industry for some time. The continued strength of commercial vehicle sales underline the improvement in commercial activity in the economy this year.”

New heavy commercial vehicles, although down by 32% (63 units) in August, remain ahead of last year by 30% (365 units). New light commercial vehicles are up 54% (441 units) for August and 47% (4,196) for the year to date.

"Vehicle sales have a direct impact on employment in the sector and it is great to see the number of people working in the Industry beginning to rise again."

Alan continued, “By the end of this year, we predict new car registrations will exceed 95,000 and while this is very positive, we are still in the very early stages of recovery, having moved from 45% of normal sales volumes last year to about 60% this year.”

“Next year, new car sales have the potential to generate a further €100 million for the economy, on top of this year’s growth and create 1,500 more jobs. However, it is crucial that this growth is not stalled by any negative decisions made in this year’s Budget.“

*increase of 4,200 jobs Q2 2014 v Q2 2013. Source: CSO QNHS

SIMI National Motoring Survey Reflects Recovery

The Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI), in association with DoneDeal, has released the First Quarter Motor Industry Review for 2014. The review, compiled by economist Jim Power using data from SIMI and DoneDeal, looks at all aspects of the motor industry and the socio-economic impacts on the area over the past several years and specifically for the first quarter of 2014.

The review shows a significant upturn in the motor industry compared to previous years and the first quarter has already shown a cause for optimism within the industry in Ireland. New car sales have increased by 27% for Q1 of 2014 compared with the same period last year.

Key Report Highlights:

● New car sales up 27% in first quarter of 2014

● Leitrim sees strongest growth (57.6% increase) of new car sales in 2014, Dublin the lowest

● Motor Industry contributed over €450 million to Exchequer in First Quarter of 2014

● Projection of over 5,000 new jobs by 2017

● Petrol and diesel prices both decrease since 2013

● Motor insurance is 4.4% higher in first quarter of 2014

Alan Nolan, Director General of SIMI, said: “This is the first quarterly review we have produced and the results certainly leave us cautiously optimistic for the future of the industry. After six extremely tough years for the motor industry in Ireland, we seem to be stabilising and the projected figures are positive, but they are just projections.
“The cost of a new car is down, the cost of fuel is down and the government has also helped the industry by keeping tax levels stable in the last budget. However, if the industry is to rebuild, it is essential that these structures remain in place as a foundation for us to plan the future on”

To view the full First Quarter “SIMI Motor Industry Review in association with DoneDeal” log on to www.simi.ie

Words by John Smyth, MicksGarage Marketing Guru!