New vehicle market heads for a 15 year record

3 December 2004

New vehicle market heads for a 15 year record

The New Zealand new vehicle market is headed for easily its biggest year since 1989, the first year that the market began to feel the effects of unrestricted used vehicle imports.

November new car sales of 6691 were 15.6% ahead of November 2003, and new commercial vehicle sales of 2057 beat last November’s figure by 16.3%. For the eleven months year to date new car sales have reached 68,861, and new commercials at 22,176 have already surpassed the 2003 full year figure. Year to date the total market for new vehicles is 8% ahead of last year, and on current forecasts it will fall just short of 100,000 units for the full year. The last time this level was reached was in 1989, when it peaked at 100,892.

“The new vehicle market is certainly in good heart,” said Perry Kerr, CEO of the Motor Industry Association. “We’ve been in sustained growth mode for three years now, spurred on by a strong economy and new vehicles that represent excellent value.”

Ford edged out Toyota in both passenger and commercial sales for the month of November, but Toyota still holds a good lead year to date. Holden Commodore remains the top selling car model, followed by Ford Falcon and Toyota Corolla.

For detailed statistics, see the attached excel document:

Sheet 1: Top ten distributors, full year 2003, month of November 2004, YTD November 2004, total vehicles, new cars, new commercials.

Sheet 2: Top ten sellers by model, full year 2003, month of November 2004, YTD November 2004, top ten rental cars November 2004.

ENDS

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