01/05/2009 14h50
Sales grow 14.1% in 2008 regardless the crisis
Gazeta Mercantil 01/05/2009
The Brazilian market of cars and light commercial vehicles ended 2008 with 2,673,713 licensed units. The result means a growth of 14.1% compared to the 2,344,279 cars and light commercial vehicles sold in 2007, which grew 27.7% compared to the previous year. The sales of trucks amounted to 121,468 units, resulting in a growth of 24%. 27,061 buses were sold, an increase of 18% compared to 2007. Altogether, the total market amounted to 2,822,242 vehicles. However, the best result in history remained below the average of the projections of the National Association of Vehicle Manufacturers (Anfavea), which even bet on a growth of 24% of the domestic market, which would have resulted in the sale of 3.1 million units in 2008. Until September, the market was continuously breaking records. The financial crisis got to Brazil with the drastic reduction of the loans. Last quarter, sales fell nearly 20% compared to the same period of 2007. With that, it was impossible to break the barrier of the 3 million vehicles, In December, there was a small improvement. 184,033 cars and light commercial vehicles were licensed, a growth of 10.7% compared to the 166,363 units sold in November. But compared to December of 2007, sales fell 20.5%. The stocks of the dealerships and in the industry are still high. Some makers foresee recovery of the market after the second quarter. Volkswagen, for instance, believes in a growth of 5% in the domestic sales this year.
