Car Sales Data – Driven To Write

Drowning By Numbers

Actions have consequences. The Irish car market is unwell.

It’s about three years since I wrote one of these analyses. Back in 2017, when I last did so, the side-effects of Britain’s referendum decision had yet to filter through in any meaningful way. However, some three years later the effects are plain to see. Because despite being outwardly one of the better performing EU member-states of late, the Republic of Ireland’s economy has been hobbled, without Britain having left the EU at all.

Amongst the sectors adversely affected, the car market is amongst the most apparent. Having been on a steady post-crisis growth curve up to 2016, with deliveries that year of 146,672, car sales have bucked more favourable economic trends, aligning closer with Sterling’s value against the Euro – a state of affairs resulting in a significant fall in new car sales with all the resultant knock-on effects that brings. Continue reading “Drowning By Numbers”

Amping It Up

European EV sales are on the rise, but the internal combustion hegemony remains for now at least, unassailable.

The electric age is just around the corner, just as it has been for some time now. Despite the fact that it patently is the legislative-default future direction of travel, and that regardless of whether we are early, late, enthusiastic or reluctant adopters (or should that be adaptors?) of the automotive EV, we’re getting them anyway. But not quite yet.

Over the first six months of 2019, sales of dedicated electric cars have been on the rise, as one might expect, illustrating (it is said), greater acceptance from customers than the plug-in hybrid model currently favoured by most of the auto industry, at least until they can place their electrified ducks in a row. (A clumsy and frankly dangerous metaphor, for which I apologise).

But is not my intent today to Continue reading “Amping It Up”

And Here Are the Results of the Irish Jury.

Reading the tea leaves from Ireland’s 2016 car sales figures.

As some of you might have gathered by now, I find motor statistics quite absorbing. Okay, it’s often a little like tea leaf prophecy, but car sales figures can be revealing. However, since full-year European data is still pending, we’ll have to contain ourselves and make do with the Society of the Irish Motor Industry who’ve released statistics for January-December 2016. The Republic of Ireland market is small, but even so, 146, 672 new car sales is not to be sneezed at, especially as it shows a rise of 17.5% over that of the previous year. Continue reading “And Here Are the Results of the Irish Jury.”

Cross Purposes

Today, Driven to Write dons a metaphorical black armband as Volvo’s CrossCountry sales flop is quietly stuffed in a sack and drowned.

Someone thought this was a good idea. Image:indianinfoonline — Someone thought this was a good idea. Image credit: Indian info online

Spare a thought if you will for the unfortunate product planner, tasked with uncovering the next automotive sales sensation, all the while negotiating the myriad trapdoors luring the unwary and over ambitious. Falling on their swords this week are those hapless individuals in Gothenburg forced to Continue reading “Cross Purposes”

Has the Sky Fallen in on Convertibles?

Sales of dropheads have halved. So is the convertible on the skids?

Nothing says ‘I’m living the dream’ like driving a convertible. There is no rational or practical reason behind it other than to demonstrate to the world you have reached a point of affluence, crisis or sheer devil-may-care indifference that can only be manifested by driving into a roseate sunset with a piece of inappropriate headwear wedged in place to prevent your hair being ruined. As pointless indulgences go then, convertibles are right up there with chocolate teapots. Continue reading “Has the Sky Fallen in on Convertibles?”