First positive signs on car market: 6 brands see sales up

Six of the 44 car brands sold domestically registered increases ranging between 270% and 7% in the first two months of this year, according to the statistical data provided by the Association of Automotive Manufacturers and Importers (APIA). On the contrary, brands such as Chrysler, Dodge, Alfa Romeo and Lancia, saw sales plummet by over 75% to 91%. Ford was the best-selling import brand domestically in the first two months of this year, with a total volume of over 1,000 cars and a share of almost 12% of the entire market. At the same time, February is the third month in a row when Ford still leads in the ranking of import brands, overcoming Volkswagen, Skoda and Renault. In the first two months, car sales declined by 5%, to almost 7,250 units, further falling at the same pace as in 2009. Against January-February 2008, the decline amounts to almost 80%, in the context where almost 40 of the 400 dealerships closed in 2009. "At present, domestic dealers' profit halved from the first quarter of last year, but at least it is stable now," said Alin Tapalaga, general manager of Porsche Inter Auto, the retail unit of Porsche Romania, the biggest player on the market.