Car makers already exceeded 2003 sales
Valor Econômico - 07/02/2008
The car industry broke another record and the sales results continue to surprise the directors of the makers themselves. The sales in the year are already above the total of cars sold in 2003. Last month was the best June of the entire history of the sector and the second best monthly performance in the domestic market. The indices accumulated in the first half of the year indicate the expectation of this industry, to grow nearly 20% this year, may be surpassed. The accumulated sales of the first half had growth of 30%. In only one month, in June, 256,031 vehicles went through the transit agencies to get a license plate, which represents growth of 28.8% compared to the same period of 2007. The total of car units sold in the first six months of the year was 1.407 million, the equivalent to an increase of 30% compared with the first half of 2007. The difference between the accumulated in the first six months of 2007 and the same period this year reaches 324.8 thousand vehicles. This is equivalent to say the car industry sold an extra volume of almost one and a half month of sales compared to the rhythm of last year in the last six months. In the last review of the forecasts, the car industry officers started counting on an expansion of nearly 20% in the market this year. The makers believed that the indexes of growth would tend to go down in the second half because the rhythm of sales in the second half of 2007 was more intense than in the first half of 2008. But they are now already thinking about the possibility of reviewing the projections once again. At the same time, there is some fear that the supply chain of the makers may not be able to keep up with the rhythm of the lines. The purchase officers of the makers have already shown concern with the fact the plants of parts are working 24 hours a day uninterruptedly. The demand for cars pushes up a great part of the growth. But the performance of trucks has also surprised. From January to June 57 thousand trucks were sold, an increase of 29.7% compared to last year's first half.