Greece 1992 / 2012 Comparison

We all know about the economic woes of Europe, especially countries such as Greece. So how do car sales compare with today and twenty years ago? Let's find out.



Below is a chart of sales for 1992 and 2012 (the 2012 figures are only nine months). Despite that, the trend is clear. There is the rank brands have in the Greek market, brand and sales, finally market share:

MG Returns To New Zealand

MG Rover cars sold well in NZ in the late 90's. Although data from those misty times is hard to find, in 1999 I believe they were the 13th best selling brand and the biggest of any Euro marque. However, once BMW stopped being the importer, things were not the same on the sales front thereafter.

Fast forward to 2012/13 and the MG brand is about to make a comeback, initially in the form of the

Ford To Close Factories, Peugeot Non?

It seems that Ford is to close it's Belgian Ford plant in Genk, which makes Mondeos and S-Max models. This will mean the loss of over 4,000 jobs. Production of the new Mondeo and S-Max will got to Valencia, Spain. Also on the chopping block is the Southampton factory, which makes the Transit van and 500 jobs will go. Most Transit vans are made in Turkey anyway, so this will be seamless. (Since

The Rover 400 (45) 2000-2004

This is one of three articles about the Rover 400/45 model.





This car needed replacing but got a facelift instead. Not enough sales for the 400 model to go it alone, yet then owners BMW tried just that and failed. They sold up and took the replacement model designs back to Munich to rot in an office draw. Who thinks capitalism has a caring side? Anyway, it soldiered on but was losing ground

The Rover 400 1995-99

                 This is one of three articles about the Rover 400/45 model.





The 400 HHR model was a new model based on the Honda Domani, which was apparently sold in Europe as part of the Honda Civic range as a hatchback and estate (wagon). The new 400 model was to be separate from the 200 range. Rover wanted to have more input into the car as it had with the R8, but Honda had different

The Rover 400 1990-94

This is one of three articles about the Rover 400/45 model.










The
first Rover 400 (R8) came out in 1990 and was a 4 door saloon (sedan)
version of the 200 model. Later a 400 Tourer Estate (wagon) model
came along also. The car was a joint venture between Rover and Honda,
the latter got the Concerto Model from the collaboration. Being able
to produce both cars off the same assembly line

Land Rover Worldwide Sales By Region: 2011

Land Rover has done well of late and 2012 will be a record year with the new Evoque in full swing. The figures below show the move away from traditional markets. Russia is part of the others total in 2011, but was probably included in Europe for the 2003 figure:

Land Rover sales 2003:





Total
165163




Europe
99000
59.9
%


Nth Am
41000
24.8
%

Jaguar Worldwide Sales By Region: 2011

In which regions and quantities does the Jaguar marques sell in? Only one way to find out, come to this post in this blog. Ford used to release this data years ago and now TATA do also. Starting with Ford's data of 2002, which had different ways of dividing sales by region than TATA do naturally enough. They also rounded figures also.







Total
130000




Europe
53300

Land Rover Worldwide Sales By Model: 2011

Land Rover sales for 2011 by model is data hard to find, in fact as with the Jaguar equivalent, perhaps only to be found here. It is thanks to the more open TATA policy. So how did LR models sell?






RR Sport
54,670
24.4%


Freeland
51,954
23.2%


Discover
44,874
20.1%


R Rover
29,626
13.2%


Evoque
22,710
10.2%


Defender

Jaguar Worldwide Sales By Model: 2011

Jaguar have always viewed sales data as private information not for public consumption. Things have improved although they still do silly things like get all coy about sales in India. Maybe one day. One thing owner TATA has been is more open. Now probably for the first time, Jaguar worldwide sales by model is available to the public thanks to a more open policy by TATA and some super sleuth work

Where To For Mazda From Here?

Mazda has always been a relatively small player in the Japanese car industry. Most of its cars are made in Japan, beneficial with the Yen always cleverly undervalued. It has had to be a little different, even quirky, to get noticed. The rotary engine is a classic example of that. For the last three decades, Ford has owned up to a third of Mazda in a tie up beneficial for both car makers.

Jaguar vs Lexus

Here are two makers of quality vehicles. Both are at the top of reliability studies and Jaguar in particular top of customer satisfaction surveys. The ranges are similar, so in many ways appeal to similar customers.




Lexus (apparently meaning Luxury Export US) gives the idea of what the marque was all about, the USA. Indeed, it sells very well there; otherwise popularity is muted. Which is a

Finding A JLR Dealer In NZ

I thought I would check out the Jaguar and Land Rover dealers in New Zealand.



I 'Googled' Jaguar and up came this at: http://tiny.cc/uxj4kw

There we see at a glance that there are eight dealers, seven in the North Island and one in the South Island. A person could decide which one was the best one for their location.

I did the same for Land Rover. I couldn't find anything, so I added the

Jaguar F-Type Photos Released

 Jaguar needs to expand its range of cars. It is doing just that with the new F-Type, bringing the range to four models. That is a minimal offering in today's market, but at least Jaguar is going in the right direction. It will slot below the current XK sports car. The F-Type will be relatively cheap, and bring new buyers to the Jaguar marque.

Some say it is the equivalent to the E-Type, but

Are You Confused By All The MINI Variants?

I have to say that German car makers know a thing or two about niche segments. They get models into every cranny they can find, then invent new ones to cram new variants into. It can get confusing. The original Mini had different models but the BMW MINI of the 21st century is getting so many different variations, perhaps a clarification is in order:

In 2001, the basic hatch model arrived, in One

Should PSA & Mitsubishi Cosy Up?

PSA (Peuget/Citroen) are not doing well. Factories underutilised, share prices crashing and sales well down. Meanwhile Mitsubishi sales are also quite weak, with the brand surely possessing the worst range of cars of any car maker in the developed world. I mean you wouldn't buy a new Mitsubishi car, would you? I didn't think so. The SUVs/Pick Up they make are better, but still outclassed.

Ford Focus TDCi vs Hyundai i30 CRDi

I have in front of me the 09/12 copy of NZ Autocar. It did a comparison between the above mentioned hatchback diesel motored cars. Now I am not one to refer to magazine articles, but the result was striking. Before I read any 'head to head', I pick the likely winner, then see if it's as I thought. This time I decided on a narrow win to the Ford. However, while I was correct about the result, the

The Jaguar S-Type History

The S-Type was built between 1999 and 2007 (some say 2008). Was it successful? I don’t really know if it was, but I think production figures were modest. I liked the look of it, somewhat retro but classy. The only part I didn’t really like was the rear end treatment. In 2002, a supercharged R version was released, which gave it some needed power as it was quite a heavy car by all accounts. To

Car Workers Told To Stay At Home

In Europe, car workers have a vacation in August, and usually return to meet orders and bolster supply. For some workers not this year. They are being told to continue their break and expect production cuts for the foreseeable future as well. This affects Peugeot, Citroen, Fiat, Renault Ford and General Motors plants. All these brands make volume brands, not premium marques.

The problem(s):

Car Stats And What It May Tell Us

When looking around the world for car sales statistics, it is amazing how varied the quality of data that is freely available to the public. Western countries are the most open whereas emerging nations not so, and this tells us about the thinking of those areas. However, even within regions, variance is very much in evidence.

As an example, I'll give my experiences with Scandinavian countries

The Rover 200: 2000-05

This is one of four articles about the Rover 200/25 model.




The facelifted 200 was named the 25 and certainly the new look was attractive. Within a year, BMW sold Rover to the Phoenix consortium, a group that didn’t have the resources to revive the company from the state BMW had left it in. A new vehicle was needed, but it would never eventuate.


The new owners tried to leverage all they

The Rover 200: 1996-99

This is one of four articles about the Rover 200/25 model.

The final version of the 200 series (R3) was the most British of them all. It was the best looking in my opinion, but not the best packaged. By the time it was released the sad divorce between Honda and Rover was complete. BMW was the new owner and Honda didn’t want to remain in the alliance if that was the case. It was a reasonable

The Rover 200: 1990-95

This is one of four articles about the Rover 200/25 model.


The second generation Rover 200 (R8) was a model that came as a 3-door, 5-door, 2-door coupe, 2-door cabriolet and 5-door estate (wagon). It also had several engine options, both petrol and diesel. The variations were a big lift from the previous model. Rover were serious about this car. The 4-door version was called the 400 and was

The Rover 200: 1984-89

This is one of four articles about the Rover 200/25 model.


The Rover Group was formed out the mess that BL had become. It needed to get its act together and quickly if it was to survive. It started collaborating with Honda, which was very successful for both parties but especially Rover. Rover had done well with the first attempt the Triumph Acclaim, a rebadged Honda Ballade. They then replaced

Ford vs GM Opel

These two brands are well established European brands, despite their US origin and ownership. Many years ago Ford had separate units in the UK and Germany, as did GM under the brands Opel and Vauxhall. Ford still develops its Euro offerings in both countries, whereas Opel now runs GM Europe. Historically Ford has been strongest in the UK, but GM outperformed Ford on the mainland. In more recent

The New 2013 Range Rover

I like to see changes in the look of a car from one model to another. That can be difficult if the current model is a winner in that department, or if management is too risk averse. BMW has a problem with the former with the iconic MINI, and most Japanese firms now have the latter problem. Which brings us to the the new Range Rover. It is a classic car, in style and the change it brought about in

Mercedes Benz CLS Shooting Brake 2013

Is this the ugliest car to be released this year? I cannot believe all the money MB would have spent on this, and this is the prettiest they could make it. They are trying to make a wagon shape look sporty. What they created was this bizarre monstrosity. The even more amazing thing is that some people will buy it because of the badge and the fact that it will be a quality vehicle. Why can't you

Honda vs Peugeot

Comparing Honda and Peugeot may seem an unusual choice. However, many of their models go head to head, so why not? One way they are similar is that neither has been doing much to broaden the range of vehicles they sell. Peugeot have recently gone to Mitsubishi for a SUV vehicle model to sell under its brand, something you would think it would have done for itself years ago. Meanwhile Honda have

BMW & PR Spin

Putting a positive spin on a negative is the way of business today. BMW is very good at it. Take the second quarter of 2012 for example. Revenue was up 7% on increased sales, but net profit was down 28%. When I see those figures a bell goes off in my head saying 'warning'! How can sales and therefore revenue be climbing, while profits tumble?

Here is where the spin comes in. BMW said increased

The European Car Crisis: VW / Fiat 2012

Not to labour the point for too long, the final installment in this series compares VW and Fiat in Western Europe. Fiat was the darling of the region many moons ago, with models such as the 125, 127 and 128. Ah, those were the days. VW has been more consistent, in fact consolidating its position of late. Going back as far as I have data, VW was third in 1990 (10.4% share) and Fiat fourth (9.9%)

The European Car Crisis: PSA/Renault 2012

The three main car producers in France, Peugeot / Citroen (PSA) and Renault are doing it tough. Sales are falling because of too much reliance on Europe which is doing badly. Also, they have been not very aggressive expanding into new niche areas like you would expect French brands to be doing. They once produced fine cars as you see pictured, however now they don't. In a word, they have become

Car Sales New Caledonia: 2011

In this small Pacific nation, car sales are stable, with a slight increase. Kia and Dacia did well near the top of the list. Ford maintained a healthy lead, albeit reduced. The three main French brands at times have held the top three spots, but not now. Chinese brands are making a move upwards. It will be interesting to see how they go in future.

1 Ford 1,218 -8%
2 Peugeot 990 2%
3 Kia 929 21%

The European Car Crisis: GM/Ford 2012

Back in the 1990’s, Ford and Opel/Vauxhall had between them 20-25% of Western European car sales. In the first six months of 2012, only 16% and for June a mere 14%. You don’t have to be a statistician to work out there is a steady decline in market share for the two main US brands. When you also add that sales in the 90’s were similar to now, then volumes are well down. In 1999 for example,

The European Car Crisis Overview 2012

Car sales are poor in Europe and will not be improving for the foreseeable future. It is not upmarket brands that are suffering, they never do. The well healed are less affected by economic downturns. The people who pull out of new car buying in harder times are the people who purchase ‘run of the mill’ models.

When car makers of these ‘bread and butter’ models run factories at full capacity,

Toyota vs Volkswagen

Both these brands have big ambitions to be the biggest brand around. Toyota is very much ahead of VW in sales as a stand alone make, strong across the world in all markets.

So which has the better car range? Toyota wins on reliability, quite easily in fact. Many think VWs are good in this area too but they are not. Reliability surveys put the big T well ahead also. VW beats Toyota in driver

The PSA Dilemma

Peugeot - Citroen (PSA) is in a difficult situation. Getting it sorted will take time and that is something the company is running out of. PSA want to close it's small Aulnay plant and lay off employees across France. This will affect something like 6,500 workers. So what is the situation? PSA Problems: 1) Not that well run. 2) European economic downturn. 3) Too much reliance on Europe,

Car LCV Sales Pakistan: 2011/12

Pakistan car and LCV sales are for July to June 2011/12. The figures below are only vehicles locally assembled, imported models are not reported. Mind you, there wouldn't be many of the latter. The LR figure is only the Defender model. Suzuki manages to take over 60% of the sales, with Toyota just under 30%.

Suzuki 112,157 +40.3%
Toyota 50,620 +15.0%
Honda 12,119 -21.7%
Daihatsu 3,857 -35.8%

VW Vs Porsche

In an affair that is so bizarre in the extreme, it could only happen in Germany. About the year 2005, Porsche was buying VW shares, not to take VW over but to stop others from doing so apparently. In 2008, with Porshe holding nearly half of VW shares, it was revealed that Porsche was in fact wishing to take over VW. The economic meltdown in 2008 had to halt the acquisition, and Porsche was now

The Austin / MG Montego

The Austin / MG Montego started life in 1984. It should have been released sooner, but for issues within the company at the time. It replaced the Ital model, which was an unfortunate facelift of the Morris Marina. I remember seeing some around NZ, although not in large numbers. The car itself was underrated by the typically cynical British media and public. I guess years of poor management at BL

Snow And The Car

We never get snow where I live, but recently we had a flurry of snow over night. By the time I went out with the camera, most had gone and only traces remained in sheltered spots. I sent off photos to friends about our rare 'snow fall'. My relative in Canada must have chuckled. Anyway, here is some real snow in Russia. I cannot imagine how it must feel digging your car out. Would anyone like to

JD Power Reliabilty Survey USA: 2012

I'm not a huge fan of reliability surveys. Some failures are minor, others major. Some not really an issue, others really frustrating or annoying. These surveys don't seem to differentiate. Also, really poor reliability does go against a brand, but generally people don't get put off. Customer satisfaction is much broader than this sort of survey. Are they useless? No, otherwise I wouldn't bother

Car Production Austria: 2011

Yes, they make cars in this alpine country, thanks to a Canadian owned company named Magna Steyr. All cars made here are from this company, made for other companies. In fact, it is the largest contract manufacturer for vehicles in the world. So how did things pan out on 2011:

MINI Countryman 89,000 +260%
BMW X3 17,900 -44%
Peugeot RCZ 13,700 _29%
M Benz SLS AMG/G-Class 7,200 +31%
Aston Martin

Honda Civic Ninth Generation

The ninth generation Civic has arrived down under. I remember the first one, a strong selling small car introduced forty years ago. The car has grown and been refined a great deal since the first model. However, this incarnation has hardly changed from the preceding model, despite every body panel being new apparently. Evolutionary you would have to say.

I took a saloon (sedan) model for a run

Car Production Germany: 2011

Car production in Germany was strong in 2011. Porsche led the way, partly at the expense of manufacturing at Finland's Valmet plant. The only positional change was BMW passing Mercedes. Opel would have dropped more but I didn't count Belgian production in the German figure of 2010, despite many sources doing so.


1 VW 1,459,900 +12.0%
2 Audi 1,109,000 +11.6%
3 BMW 1,025,400 +8.9%
4 M B

BMW MINI Engine Milestone: 2012

The three-millionth engine has been produced at BMW Group's UK engine plant circa Birmingham. Four-cylinder petrol engines have been built at Plant Hams Hall for over a decade. The engines go to plants in Germany, Austria and Oxford, UK, currently powering the BMW X1, 1 Series and new BMW 3 Series, as well as all MINI petrol models. Facilities are to be upgraded at the Hams Hall plant to enable

Car Sales Korea (Total): 2011

When you look at the Korean market, you soon see something is amiss. When people are offered choice, unhindered by government intervention, then many brands will do well. Import duties among other things create imbalanced sales. That is what has happened in Korea. It wants to export, but not import, an attitude seen across Asia. To see what I mean, below shows passenger car sales for 2011, market

Customer Satisfaction Survey UK: 2012

I prefer customer satisfaction surveys as they cover a broader field than just a reliability one. If customers feel satisfied with the car they bought, they will more likely return to the brand next time.

The J.D. Power & Associates/What Car? 2012 UK Vehicle Ownership Satisfaction Study according to the jdpower.com website "is based on owner evaluations of their vehicle and dealer across 67

JLR In Good Health: 2011-12

One thing that I couldn't understand about British management was the fact they never talked up success. Maybe it was viewed as bragging, something not in good taste. If so, you would have to say German companies have excessive poor taste, as they talk up their achievements like no others. The fact is the public don't perceive saying how well you are doing as improper. JLR now does tell the world

The Hyundai i20

I went for a test drive in Hyundai i20. The list price in NZ is substantially too much, approaching NZ$27,000. This one was on special for 22k drive away, which sounded close to where it should be anyway.

It had all the basic things you would expect. It was roomy and plenty of light came though the well sized windows. It also drives well enough but if you want sharp acceleration, it disappoints

Fiat And Mazda Team Up?

The next Alfa Romeo Spider will be a Mazda MX5, built in Japan! The platform will be all Mazda, with unique body panels and engines to each brand. This is the way of the future. Mitsubishi already make SUVs for Peugeot and Citroen.

Both Mitsubishi and Mazda are not well placed. Mazda no longer has Ford to help defray expenses with. However, thanks to the Ford tie-up, Mazda currently has a

The Toyota Prius C

I have driven hybrids but not enjoyed them. They are numb when accelerating and I'm not one for putting 'the pedal to the metal' as they say. They look ugly too. The Prius C looks OK and that is important. It does 3.9L/100km. In NZ it comes with a 1.5 litre motor with CVT transmission, and sells for NZ$31,000. That puts it over 10k under the Honda Civic Hybrid, which isn't very good. The Prius C

Japanese Brands Falling In Europe In 2012

If you look at Europe minus the former Soviet nations (ACEA figures in other words), then Japanese everyday brands are retreating. They are particularly being hit by Hyundai and Kia.

Below we see the difference, with Jan-Apr 2012 percentages first and April only figures in parentheses:

Mitsubishi -32% (-38)
Honda -22% (+2)
Suzuki -17% (-22)
Mazda -12% (-9)
Toyota -9% (-13)
Nissan -4% (-20)

Car Market Nouvelle-Calédonie: 1980s

Way back in 1983 (the earliest record I have), Nouvelle-Calédonie had a small car market of just under 3,200. The big players were French, of course, and Italian. The top five were, along with market share:

1 Renault 692 21.7%
2 Peugeot 462 14.5%
3 Fiat 163 5.1%
4 Autobianchi 155 4.9%
5 Ford 148 4.6%

Total 3186

Things changed rapidly through the decade, and three years later the top five

Work Practices

In many developing nations, workers rights are generally limited by the fact laws favour business and there are plenty to take your job if you don't comply. Wages are also low. It was like that once in western nations too, but labour laws were enacted to protect the workers.


There are those that feel that in some countries worker protection has gone too far and it undermines competitiveness.

Vehicle Sales Peru: 2011

The Peruvian market is diverse. So many brands, many Chinese as is common in developing nations. The usual western brands are at the top. An asterisk after the brand means there were two entries for the make, which I combined. Despite the long list, many 'other' sales appear, which can only make you wonder what are all those sales doing unassigned to any marque. I would have added percentages on

The Nissan Juke-R Is Coming....Be Scared

Nissan has decided to put into production its outrageous Juke-R crossover in a very limited run on build-to-order basis. I have been reading about it in NZ car magazines and I thought what a shame it will never reach the public. Well Nissan has the 'you know what' to do things that others won't. Nissan say: "The 3.8-litre, 160mph Juke-R made its global debut in Dubai in January this year,

Plant Closures In Europe...Not

Ford just posted another loss in Europe, $149m this time. GM loses money each year. Yet both are popular within the region, 2nd and 3rd respectively according to ACEA. GM knows it needs to close a plant at least, one of the three in Germany would be obvious. I'm less sure what Ford should do. Close its Belgium plant and move Mondeo production elsewhere? PSA, Renault and Fiat all have far too

Car Sales Wales: 2011

In Wales, car sales have fallen for the past two years. Fords are popular in the Principality (see pic above), as are the cars, with a 20% market share. It must be all the Ford engines thay make in Bridgend. The last column shows how brands rank differently to the UK in total. Notice the big three French brands (Renault and both PSA brands) do better in Wales, while the three German premium

China & JLR

Jaguar Land Rover are entering a joint venture deal with Chinese car maker Chery. I wonder why JLR feel the need to build cars there. They are doing well as it is, unless this move guarantees access to such an important market. Below are some amazing facts about JLR in China.

JLR sales between 2004 and 2010: 39,000.
2011: 42,000. 2012: First 3 mths 18,000.
Estimated 2012: 70,000.

Jaguar XJ

Car Sales Scotland: 2011

Scottish car sales are included in the UK figures, but looking at them separately does show up some differences with the rest of the nation. For a start GM Vauxhall is top here, while second nationally, the reverse being so for Ford. Renault managed 5th spot in Scotland for 2011 but 11th overall for the UK. BMW is 4th in the UK but only 8th in the land of the tartan. Premium brands are not as

2012 Honda CR-Z

Honda have created the Honda CR-Z as a sporty hybrid. Except it isn't strictly speaking such, but uses an electric motor to boost its petrol engine when more power is required. It has three buttons you can press for the desired driving. Econ for cruising for economy but little urge required. Normal which gives more umph but still sluggish. Then Sport for thrust. It certainly enlivens up the

New Zealand Top 50 By Model: 2011

I'm not big on sales by model, but for the NZ market, I'll make an exception as it isn't that readily available elsewhere. For some notes on the top of the list, the Corolla is top because of fleet sales. The Swift is next because it works well as a second car and is well priced, but there are more practical small hatches to be had. The Commodore was top until 2008 ans is still as high as third

Milan Design Week & The XF Sportbrake

How Italians lived and how they live now is the theme of this huge multimedia and interactive exhibition entitled AD - La Casa degli Italiani dal 1861 al 2011 (AD – the Italian house from 1861 to 2011), which celebrates 30 years of AD, the Architectural Digest, a monthly Condé Nast publication that focuses on architecture, furnishing and design. (quote: vogue.it @ http://tiny.cc/juxxcw ).

Part

New Model At Nissan Sunderland

Nissan UK keeps on growing. Back in 1986, Nissan UK assmebled 5,000 Primeras. Local content increased, as did numbers. In 1991, the 100k figure was passed with 125,000 Primeras made. The Micra was added in 1992 and 246,000 cars were produced in 1993 at the plant. The Almera joined the production line in the year 2000, when the 300k mark was passed (327,000). 2010 was the first time 400k was

World Car Design Of The Year: 2012

Slightly late news but I only just heard that the Range Rover Evoque has been crowned World Car Design of the Year 2012. The announcement was made at the 2012 New York International Auto Show and sees Evoque's awards tally total more than 100 global accolades. Gerry McGovern, Land Rover Design Director said: "We are honored that the Range Rover Evoque has been named 2012 World Car Design of the

Fuel Prices Are Too Low

Petrol and diesel prices are considered very high by most people. You get the impression that they will only get higher in the long run, because reserves are dwindling while demand rises. These fuels are essential for shipping and aviation but not so much for cars. So why are people not switching to vehicles with alternative fuels? Because such vehicles cost more to buy and the current fuels are

L Rover - 25 Years In The USA: Summary (Part 3)

When Land Rover came to the US, sales were modest. That was to be expected as the Range Rover model that was the entire range was trailblazing the luxury SUV category. With that segment gaining popularity and new models being added, the marque accelerated in the mid 90's. Today Land Rover has a strong following in the country, and the US is a very important market for it.

Below is a summary of

L Rover - 25 Years In The USA: 2001-12 (Part 2)

This is Part 2 of a three part series covering LR USA.


After the demise of the Defender in the US, the brand soldiered on with just two models until 2001, when the Freelander debuted. It was never that popular in the US, and the name was changed to the LR2 in 2007.


The Discovery became the LR3 in 2004 and in 2009 the LR4.





Year
Total
Discovery
R Rover
Freelander

L Rover - 25 Years In the USA: 1987-00 (Part 1)

This is the first of three installments, tracking LR sales in the USA.

Despite the fact that Land Rovers have been around since 1948 and Range Rovers from 1970, LR only made it to the States in 1987. Initially sales were only the Range Rover, the Defender arriving in 1993 and the Discovery model in 1994. Below are sales for those years by model:






Year
R Rover
Defend


1987

Light Truck Production USA: 2011

Ford is consolidating its position as the largest light truck maker in the US. Nearly 720,000 F Series trucks rolled off Ford production lines. Jeep grew strongly, thanks mainly to sizable increases for both the Compass and Grand Cherokee models. BMW benefited from the X3's growth.

1 Ford Total 1,521,000 +16.8%
Ford 1,511,000 +19.7% Lincoln 10,000 -2.4%
2 GM Total 1,158,000 +3.5%
Chevrolet

Car Production USA: 2011

A modest increase in car production for the US, bearing in mind these figures exclude light trucks. Honda slipped down from 3rd th 6th, and Ford nearly went past falling Toyota production.

Chevrolet benefited from the Cruze model - up over 300% while Hyundai enjoyed strong increase in Elantra production. For Honda, the Accord model took a sizable fall in numbers.

1 GM Total 1,891,000 +0.8%

Vehicle Production Mexico: 2011

Vehicle manufacturing is an important industry for the country. There are not many brands involved but volumes are solid.

First up is car figures. For years there was little variation, but things have accelerated of late, with 2011 very successful.

1 Nissan 542,000 +18.8%
2 VW 515,000 +18.4%
3 Ford 455,000 +16.5%
4 GM 139,000 -21.6%
5 Fiat 57,000 New
Total 1,707,000 +16.1%

Now for Light

Car Sales Malaysia: 2011

Car sales in Malaysia were down slightly in 2011, but 2010 was a record year so 2011 was strong. Local brands Perodua (who make Daihatsu cars under license) and Proton took nearly two thirds of the market, not what it used to be but substantial nonetheless.

Below are sales by brand and increase/decrease:

1 Perodua 179,989 -4.6%
2 Proton 158,601 +1.0%
3 Toyota 63,493 -10.7%
4 Honda 32,480

The Rover 75

The Rover 75 was to be the saviour of MG Rover. It was to replace two cars, the 600 and 800. A good deal of money was spent in making it a quality offering. However, it didn't sell well, as the production figures below testify. The second figures from 2001 were for the MG ZT variation:

1999 53,700
2000 31,300
2001 33,800 3,500
2002 32,100 6,900
2003 30,400 8,000
2004 24,200 6,800
2005 5,200

Fiat 500L

Fiat used to have the 600 and 600 Multipla models, bigger versions of the tiny 500. It has revealed a new 600 (or Multipla?) at the Geneva show, called the 500L. L stands for large. I don't know why they are using the 500 designation if they are drawing on historical models for the current range. It looks the part at the front end but seems contrived at the rear. It's not a looker, is it? Will

Protected Car Markets

The uneven playing field that is trade never ceases to amaze me. China slaps hefty duties on imported vehicles, which forces anyone wishing to sell cars in any meaningful volume to make them locally. Yet China doesn't face the same duties when it exports. China now has a massive trade surplus, yet the system continues uncontested.

Another country that follows a similar pattern is Brazil. The

The Bentley SUV; Sanity Prevails

Every vehicle made by marques such as Land Rover, Jaguar and Aston Martin are beautiful. There is a high quality of style with such British brands. Bentley cars aren't quite in that league when it comes to good looks, but they are acceptable. German car design is to my eyes possibly the worst there is, no offence meant to any readers from that nation. I think designers from Germany hijacked

VW Group Worldwide Sales By Region: 2012

I already have had a request for breakdown by region for VW Group 2011, so here it is (see below for part 1). Western Europe is the biggest region but China easily so by country. Below are the 2011 and 2010 sales, followed by the percentage increase or decrease. Top nations in various regions are included as a no cost bonus.

Western Europe 3,131,000 2,882,000 +8.6Germany 1,153,000

VW Group Worldwide Sales By Brand: 2011

VW call them deliveries, I presume that means sales. Anyway, the VW Group did well in 2011. This is a company in a hurry, impatient to be the biggest in the business. They should do it, but much depends on China. Sales are stalling there and VW Group is so strong in that market. Of course, VW are pushing hard in all markets, but could be more evenly spread around the world, in other words is

UK Car Making On The Up In 2012

It must be said that UK car making isn't as big as it should have been due to the total mismanagement of the industry in the 70s. Having said that, it is surprisingly strong when compared to the dark days of the 80s. Most local brands went under, the American brands largely left (GM seems to want to close the last plant) but the Japanese came in. They liked what they saw and liked even more what

The European Car Making Mess

I wrote this article in December 2009: http://tiny.cc/BVGf2b
Just over two years later little has been done about European overcapacity. Both Fiat and GM closed a plant in 2011, but that was not enough by far. GM and PSA are trying to save costs with a cooperation deal as I mentioned in a recent article. That will achieve little if they both fail to bite the bullet and close factories. So what

Jaguar XF Shooting Brake

Just released in Geneva, the XF Shooting Brake. Originally the term 'Shooting Brake' was a vehicle to take gentlemen out shooting, with all that entailed. The Wagon or Estate car that Jaguar has released is due to hit European showrooms in the third quarter of 2012. I have to say that it will sell well, due it gorgeous styling. Their is nothing on the market in that segment that looks so

Older Cars Where I Live

I was on my bike yesterday around the town I live and I took my camera. Well, I came across three old cars. I took snaps of them and here they are:


A 1957 Ford Prefect. A mild climate and a not too strict warrant of fitness regime means as long as they are reasonably maintained, you can have one. Something different. This is the 100E model and it was made from 1953 to 1959. A total of 100,554

LR Defender Sales By Country: 2011

The Land Rover Defender is coming to the end of its long and illustrious career. Yes, there will be a replacement, but it will be different and it has to be. No vehicle has a right to last essentially unchanged for over sixty years. Yet the Landie has.

Establishing sales data by country for this model is difficult. In Europe, many are sold as commercial vehicles, which are rarely broken down

UK Net Car Importer

Most countries are 100% net car importers as they have no car manufacturing. Even some car making nations are still net importers due to the limited nature of production. The UK falls into that latter category. So by how much? Well, if you make local car sales 100%, then measure production against that you can find out. If production is half of domestic sales, then the figure is 50%. So we are

Jaguar XK Sales By Country: 2011

The XK is a fine car. Nothing covers ground in such an effortless way. Jaguar say "Breathtaking performance, sporting luxury and advanced technologies create a grand tourer with the heart and soul of a sports car". That says it very well.

1 USA 1,738
2 UK 1,336
3 Germany 560
4 Canada 148
4 Italy 148
6 France 133
7 Switzerland 77
8 South Africa 67
9 Australia 55
10 Spain 49
11 Russia 35
12

GM & PSA

GM has bought a 7% share of PSA (Peugeot and Citroen). I don't see why they would. Back in the year 2000, GM bought 20% of Fiat, which was to save them both handsomely in financial terms. It didn't turn out to be that way, so GM decided to leave the alliance. To do so, GM had to pay Fiat $2bn to get out.This time round, the venture is more limited in scope. Any real savings will take years to

RR Evoque Sales By Country: 2011

I wondered whether to bother about sharing Evoque's sales as it was released not long ago, so they cover only a short duration of the year. This also means that some countries got the car sooner than others, so that skews the figures against some nations. So taking that into account, here are the 2011 Evoque sales from certain nations only.

1 UK 4,839
2 USA 2,244
3 France 1,500
4 Russia 1,123

The Rover 800

I did a blog on the Rover 600 recently and thought I would add a piece about the 800. It arrived in 1986 as a replacement for the SD1, a car it didn't quite match in my opinion. Still, based on the Honda Legend as it was, it proved not a bad car. A friend of mine had an 800 from new in NZ. He gave it a pretty hard life and it went well for just about 225,000 kms, by which time it was somewhat

Jaguar XJ Sales By Country: 2011

The XJ is a fabulous car competing in a shrinking segment, that is of premium saloon cars. Traditional buyers have moved steadily over to premium SUVs. In Asia, they still have a strong following, but I do not have data for that area. I'm sure the likes of Singapore, Japan and Korea would do quite well in this list.

Obviously, the USA is where many XJs find a home. However, too many markets do

Range Rover/Sport Sales By Country: 2011

There are three lists in this entry, RR Sort, Range Rover and combined sales. They give an indication of how the model sells in various countries and as more figures come to light, they will be added.

The Range Rover Sport has been a winner since its introduction in 2005. Combining luxury, SUV capabilities with good handling is clearly a popular combination. The RR Sport is very popular in Italy

Renault Group Sales In Africa By Nation: 2011

Access to car sales data for Africa, with a few exceptions, is impossible. Renault release their own in great detail. Oh that other car makers were as transparent. All the competitors already know what other manufacturers are doing anyway, so keeping the interested public in the dark is pointless. Full marks to Renault.In 2011, Renault had a solid increase on the continent. It relies mainly on

Jaguar XF Sales By Country: 2011

The XF is a fine car, both in style and driving pleasure. Jaguar do not chase volume, but are more interested in being profitable so some of the figures below are not that large. However the model makes money for the brand, which then can be used to expand its limited range of vehicles. I think a few long suffering dealers want a wider range of models...now! In the meantime, the XF is doing what

Australia / NZ Sales By Brand Comparison: 2011

Australia and New Zealand (ANZACs) are very close nations, like Canada and the USA. Accents and culture also have a strong similarity. How about car buying preferences by brand?

To start, Australia has 92.3% of sales and NZ 7.7%. The figure after the brand name below is the percentage the brand achieves over or under the average, NZ being the reference country. For example Suzuki makes 16.9% of

LR Discovery Sales By Country: 2011

Some say the Discovery (LR4) is the best SUV, with good road manners and excellent off road capability. It is hard to argue with that. It certainly sells well in places where rough roads and off roading are common. The list is by no means comprehensive, but will be added to as data comes in.


1 USA 7,983

2 UK 7,861

3 Brazil 3,067

4 Russia 2,920

5 South Africa 2,553

6 Australia 2,086

7

Toyota GT 86 & Subaru BRZ

I am one who is critical of the lack of imagination Japanese car makers have shown for some time now. Design is never revolutionary and halo models simply don't exist anymore. Well Toyota and Subaru have finally decided to create a model that will never sell in big numbers but show it still has a little soul. The car in question the GT 86, made in collaboration with Subaru. Subaru, which is now

LR Freelander Sales By Country: 2011

The Freelander has been a success for LR from day one. It should have been released even sooner but LR couldn't afford to. How times have changed. The current Freelander (LR2) hasn't sold as well as it deserves, partly due to conservative styling (which still looks good in my eyes) and increasing competition in the segment. It is a fine all round vehicle.

Below are sales for some countries in

Lotus Car Sales: 2011

Lotus is a small sports car producer that did well with the Elise model, and got to make a decent amount of cars. It’s been around a while now and sales are declining each year. A whole raft of models are going to be coming out over the next few years that should give a real boost to production and profits.

Below are some sales figures from around the world. The total sales figure is an

Volvo Sales: 2011

Just as Tata's purchase of JLR has been a success, Geely's ownership of Volvo is doing something similar for Volvo. So how did it go for the Swedish car maker in 2011?

Total sales: 449,255 (373525 2010, +20.3% increase).

Top 10 markets
(2010 in brackets):

USA 67,300 (54,000)
Sweden 58,500 (52,900)
China 47,100 (30,500)
Germany 33,200 (25,200)
UK 32,300 (37,900)
Belgium 20,300 (17,600)
Russia

Car Subsidies

I just read this headline regarding a financial package given by the Welsh Government to secure the future of a car parts factory: 300 jobs saved in £12.4m boost for Llanelli factory. The article said: "The £3.4 million package has in turn led to its parent company investing a further £9 million, safeguarding a total of 302 jobs, including an increased number of permanent positions at the plant.

USA / Canada Sales By Brand Comparison: 2011

Canucks like their Dodge Rams...

The USA and Canada are very close nations. Accents and culture have a strong similarity. How about car buying preferences by brand?

To start, the US has 89% of North American sales and Canada 11%. The figure after the brand name below is the percentage the brand achieves over or under the average, Canada being the reference country. For example Ram makes 20.4%

Aston Martin Sales By Country: 2011

Getting Aston sales is not easy. The US figure is from a reputable source, but an estimate only. China? My estimate there. Canada? I wouldn't even have a stab at that one. What is there gives an indication, but if anyone can shed light on it, please let me know. Ax I get more data, I will add it to the list.

The top three have their share of AM sales in brackets, which represents just over half

Bentley Sales By Country: 2011

Bentley was up by over a third in 2011, still short of the 2005-08 period when the world economy was in 'super greed' mode. So for the more restrained times we now live in, a good result.

Three markets dominate, and I have put the share they took of total Bentley sales in brackets - 70% in total between them.

1 USA 2,021 +32% (28.9%)
2 China 1,839 +96% (26.3%)
3 UK 1,037 +4% (14.8%)
4 Germany

Top Brands Worldwide By Country: 2011

The leading brand by country in 2011 didn't show much change around the world (excluding Europe). Toyota is the big one, closely followed by GM. VW's aspirations at being the biggest in the world is hampered by its lack of strength in so many markets outside of Europe and China.

The number shown after the car brand is the amount of top spots they got. A number after country is what ranking they

Vehicle Production Japan: 2011

We all know that the Japanese car industry did it tough in 2011. That is reflected in production the figures below, especially car making. I looked back to 1990 to see how bad it was. Both Toyota and Honda had their lowest car production in 2011 for that twenty two year period. Considering the recent slump of a few years ago - and to go under that - shows how bad it was for those two

Top Brands In Europe By Country: 2011

As to which manufacturer is top in a given country can be influenced by various factors. For example, a local brand is usually top where it is made. German speaking countries and northern Europe favour VW, Renault is most popular in southern Europe, while Skoda and Lada are strong in eastern parts.

Below shows which make was most popular in the listed country. A number in brackets by the brand

Vehicle Sales Thailand: 2011

The floods that devastated Thailand dented vehicle sales rather badly, yet the strong sales before that meant that the market proved stable for the total year.

To sell cars in numbers in Thailand, you have to make cars locally to avoid steep import duty. Toyota provide the sales for the country, and they dominate the market. The three top makes were hurt by the floods most it seems. Other

Nedcar Production History: 1995-2010

Below is an article about Dutch car plant Nedcar in Born. To see the problem, production figures give it away. When the plant was shared, production volume made it viable. Now down to one brand and possibly one model, it would never pay. To show what I mean, production figures for the plant when Mitsubishi joined production:





Yr
Total
Mitsub
Volvo
smart


95
100,400

Car Plant For One Euro

Mitsubishi operate a car plant in the southeast of the Netherlands called Nedcar, which they took over fully from Volvo in 2001. Prior to that it was joint owned. Mitsubishi now want to end its production there and are asking a token 1 Euro for its purchase. Production is down to only 50,000 cars, the 1,500 workers making the Colt and Outlander models. Mitsubishi's European sales have dropped

Car Sales Philippines: 2011

The local car market is heavily protected by import duties. For the size of the population, sales are modest, due to low incomes for many. If commercial vehicle sales were taken out, personal car sales would be very low. Some brands such as Land Rover and Jaguar are sold but the importer does not release sales figures. Such secrecy is so last century, and not proactive.1 Toyota 54,600 -4%2

Global Sales Renault Group: 2011

In 2011, Renault achieved record global sales of 2,722,000 units, up 3.6%. Growth was driven by sales outside Europe, representing 43% of group sales, against 37% in 2010. Last year, the group's main markets (excluding Lada) are below. The percentage figure represents market share for that country:France 689,000 26.1% Brazil 194,300 5.7% Germany 181,200 5.3%Russia 154,700 5.8%Turkey 140,800 16.3%

Car Sales India: 2011

This is an increasingly important market in size and potential. A car maker has to assemble cars locally to achieve any penetration due to stiff tariffs. Suzuki had supply problems which show below in the sales slump. The Land Rover and Jaguar sales are estimates, due to Tata steadfastly refusing to elaborate in any way other than to say they are doing fine.

1 Suzuki 685,000 -36%
2 Hyundai

Car Sales Morocco: 2011

Data from this North African country are as rare as hens teeth, so we take what we can get. The top ten as below:

1 Dacia 22,356
2 Renault 19,145
3 Peugeot 11,244
4 Ford 7,351
5 Hyundai 6,950
6 VW 5,947
7 Citroen 5,770
8 Toyota 4,726
9 Kia 4,683
10 Fiat 4,027

Premium brand sales:

BMW 1,336
Mercedes 1,320
Audi 1,289
Alfa Romeo 379
Land Rover 374
Volvo 320
MINI 205
Jaguar 100
Porsche 98

Car Sales Paraguay: 2011

Local importing association Cadam used to give out reasonable data, but lately has got a bit stingy. They give out enough to allow this summary, so that is a positive. Paraguay is a poor country, so these sales figures are strong, with a healthy increase too. The Koreans are successful here, while the Chinese brands are quieter than I thought they might be.

1 Kia 4,300 38%
2 Chevrolet 4,000 24%

Car/LCV Sales Brazil: 2011

Fiat has been the best performing brand for many years here. To sell in any numbers in Brazil, you have to manufacture in the country, and the government seems to be heading even more down that route. This ensures the market will be dominated by the big car makers in the country. The top three brands took over 60% of the market!

Getting accurate data can be a challenge too. It varies from place

Car Sales Cyprus: 2011

It is hard to get car sales figures for Cyprus, but super sleuth here has managed to put something together. Between 2004-2008, sales boomed but were pegged back by the recession, but still remain quite strong.

In 2008, Nissan took the lead for the first time and are now running away with it. Ford, leader in 2006-2007, are the only brand really keeping in touch. Front runners prior to 2006

Jaguar Sales By Country: 2011

Jaguar sales were modest in 2011, but they were profitable. Much of its recent history has featured red ink, so that itself is an achievement. Think of what an SUV would have done for the brand. Jaguar is a case of missed opportunities, but they are remedying that. Some bright spots were China, Korea, Russia and Singapore. The brand is definitely heading easterly for future growth, as the west

BMW M5 vs Jaguar XFR

Two ultimate driving machines went head to head in an Auto Express test. How did they fare? The M5 first:


Plus: Agile, direct steering, excellent body control, limpet-like grip, gearbox smooth and relaxing shifts (at speed).

Minus: A little detached and clinical, gearbox slightly jerky around town, quite a bit more expensive.

Plus: Blisteringly quick, sleek style, engaging driving dynamics,

Car Market Japan (Local Brands): 2011

Toyota has always been at the forefront of the Japanese market, and probably always will. However, 2011 will not go down as one to remember fondly for the car making giant. Its market share was the worst since 2001, when it had a bit of a rough time also. The 40% plus of the late 80's is now a distant memory.

Nissan had its best penetration since 2005, Lexus its best share since it became a

Škoda Citygo vs Daihatsu Siron

Do they look similar to you?

The Sirion has been around several years, the Škoda is just being released. To my eye, when I saw it, I thought Sirion. The pics I chose are not ideal matches, such as two door / four door and colours. Despite that, the basic shape is very similar to me. Which means that the Daihatsu was an advanced design when released. I think Škoda could have done something

Range Rover Evoque vs BMW X1

NZ car magazine NZ Autocar did a comparison between the above cars in its Jan 12 issue. Seeing as the X1 for many would be the benchmark for the best small SUV, and the Evoque is the new kid on the block, a worthwhile comparison.

First up, it said the Evoque was the car with all the style. Not hard when compared with Germanic style, which let's face it doesn't really exist. There wasn't much

Land Rover Sales By Country: 2011

Land Rover had a very good 2011 with sales up in almost every country. The new Evoque will compliment the rest of the range nicely in 2012, making for yet another record year. In some countries, LR has commercial sales which I have yet to confirm. Those nations have the the whole entry italicised. For example, Italy has a substantial number of such sales and as I cannot yet add them, shows a 16%

LR Defender Sales By Country: 2010

In many European nations, some Land Rovers are classified as commercial vehicles. In most but not all cases, it would be a Defender model. When sales are released by model, the commercial sales are not always included. Therefore, below you see two lists, the first Defender sales as released and the second unspecified commercial LR sales.

1 Italy 1,571
2 Germany 817
3 Spain 789
4 South Africa

GM World's Biggest Vehicle Maker: 2011

I wrote a while back about who was likely to be the world's biggest vehicle maker for 2011. Well it all came true. Of late, it has been GM and Toyota battling it out for supremacy. Both sides accepted how the other counted its sales. Now the VW Group has joined the calculations. Suddenly VW isn't happy how GM counts its figures, it wants them counted in such a way that makes them top in 2011. VW

Jaguar XK Sales By Country: 2010

The XK is a stunning vehicle. It effortlessly consumes miles and does it with style. I would imagine many of the US sales are in California, perhaps many seen cruising in Rodeo Drive. It probably deserves to sell in larger numbers than it does in many countries, but those who do purchase such a vehicle get something rather special.

1 USA 2,137
2 UK 1,641
3 Germany 487
4 Italy 136
5 Canada 117
6

Range Rover/Sport Sales By Country: 2010

The Range Rover has always been a solid seller and continues as such. However, it has been easily outsold by the Sport model since its introduction. There will always be those who like the regal Range Rover, but the Sport brings a dynamic edge to the genre.

First up, the RR Sport:
sales that I have found

1 USA 12,347
2 UK 8,508
3 Italy 3,214
4 Germany 1,745
5 Russia 1,543
6 Australia 1,356
7

Jaguar XJ Sales By Country: 2010

Big, luxury barges do not sell in the numbers they once did. Luxury SUVs have taken much of the market from them. However, in some countries they still are popular, such as China. Unfortunately I am unable to find anything for China on model breakdown. What I have been able to sniff out is below:

1 USA 4,278
2 UK 1,827
3 Germany 545
4 China 256
5 Russia 225
6 France 201
7 Italy 194
8 Belgium

Jaguar XF Sales By Country: 2010

The XF is the best car in its class. It is beautiful, refined and handling is superb. Even in this class, most of its competitors are sterile offerings. Not this cat. The downside to it is it arrived with too many alternatives missing. A small diesel has taken ages to arrive. The shooting brake model is still to come, and no 4wd option is available. For these reasons, and the fact that Jaguar

LR Discovery Sales By Country: 2010

The Discovery, or LR4, is a vehicle of contrast. It is rugged, yet refined; butch, but smooth. It gives you the best of both worlds and for that reason the best selling LR in markets such as Australia and South Africa.

1 UK 8,295
2 USA 7,122
3 China 5,796
4 Russia 2,347
5 South Africa 2,210
6 Australia 1,754
7 Brazil 1,729
8 Germany 1,137
9 Spain 996
10 Italy 925
11 Canada 522
12 Belgium 460

LR Freelander Sales By Country: 2010

The Freelander is a fine looking, fine performing SUV. It is a small vehicle for North American tastes, but does well elsewhere. Countries that I have been able to find sales data are listed below. If anyone can add to the list, please contact me directly or leave a comment.

1 UK 15,562
2 China 10837
3 Italy 4,674
4 Russia 3,946
5 USA 3,649
6 Brazil 2,580
7 Spain 2,419
8 Germany 2,326
9 France

Car Sales Uruguay: 2011

Car sales are booming here, well above the average of last decade. Two sizable increases over tha past two years have seen to that. Chevrolet is the big brand in this small South American country. VW cannot even get close, standing a distant second. Chinese brand Chery only came to the market here in 2008 and is already 3rd with 6.6% of total sales. I'm picking (no pun intended) Chery will

Vehicle Sales Colombia: 2011

Colombia has a low ratio of car ownership, yet suffers traffic jams. It seems the problem is an under developed road system. The government would like to restrict car ownership through auctioning registration plates Singapore style. That won't take cars off the road, but rather increase the age of cars in use. Improving roading is expensive though.

As for car sales, GM has always been top here

Car Sales Chile: 2011

GM maintained its grip down here, with both Korean brands losing ground slightly to the general. About 1 in 5 cars sold here are for the leading brand, and won't be changing anytime soon. As far as I can tell, this is easily the best year for car sales.

1 GM 46,800 12%
2 Hyundai 29,200 0%
3 Kia 24,300 12%
4 Suzuki 21,000 16%
5 Nissan 17,500 3%
6 Toyota 17,400 -7%
7 Samsung 8,500 37%
8 Mazda

Car Sales Lebanon: 2010

They are a year late, but finally some data to assimulate. A strong showing came from Korea taking 1st and 3rd. Otherwise, brands from different regions are all mixed up, without preferences toward any region in particular. 1 Kia 6,494 66%2 Nissan 5,663 -18%3 Hyundai 4,152 75%4 Toyota 3,103 -30%5 Chevrolet 1,338 -2%6 Mitsubishi 1,287 36%7 Renault 1,145 -23%8 Peugeot 970 -35%9 Mazda 946 47%10 BMW

Car Sales Europe: 2011

ACEA figures (below) reveal that 1,357,500 cars were sold in Europe (less Russia) in 2011, down 1.4%.

VW took top spot with 12.4% penetration, up from 11.2% in the preceding year. While VW makes some good cars, the Passat for example is exceedingly ordinary, yet it is doing very well for the brand in Europe. This debunks the myth that buyers in Europe are always discerning, but rather badge

UK Vehicle Production: 2011

2011: UK car production was up 5.8%, from 1,270,000 in 2010 to 1,344,000. I was thinking it would be more, but it was and OK result. BMW's building the Countryman in Austria due to capacity restraints in the UK, and Honda reducing sales in Europe had a dampening effect. For the situation in data:

Nissan - Juke, Note & Qashqai : 480,500 / +13.5%

Land Rover - All models : 238,200 / +33%

MINI -

Car/LCV Sales RSA: 2011

I earlier published car sales for South Africa, and someone asked about including Light Commercial Vehicles too. So here it is. The first set of figures are LCV sales only. Toyota is the top brand by far. AMH do not release figures by brand.

1 Toyota 52,423 10%
2 Nissan 22,825 3%
3 GM 18,303 17%
4 Ford 14,746 1%
5 Isuzu 13,228 22%
6 VW 8,759 205%
7 Mazda 3,772 -2%
8 Mitsubishi 1,559

Car/LCV Sales Denmark: 2011

Another bouncy year for car sales here, with VW finishing up this winner of Denmark's version of musical chairs. With an amazing 60% increase in one year emphasises how things change. Then Ford managed a decrease when the overall market went up so strongly, surrendering a sizable lead in the process.

10/11/Brand/Sales/Inc-decr
4 1 VW 21,900 60%
1 2 Ford 18,700 -1%
2 3 Peugeot 18,300 21%
5 4

Car Sales Austria: 2011

This years sales in Austria may well be an all time record. It is a nation that prefers to buy European, especially German. The best Japanese make comes in a lowly 15th. VW achieved its best market share since 2001 and best sales since 2000. Renault got its best haul of units sold since 1999, assisted in part by Dacias being included under the Reggie logo. In case you were wondering, 5,256

Car Sales Singapore: 2011

Car sales were numerically low in Singapore, due to fewer permits (COE) issued to buy them. Cars have high duty and the cost for the COE is steep, so it makes average cars uneconomic. Those who can afford all this can also buy a better class of car, so the market is being taken over by premium marques. This is obvious from the data below:

10/11/Brand/Sales/Inc-dec

3 1 BMW 4,959 5%
2 2 Mercedes

Jaguar / Land Rover Total Sales: 2011

JLR had a good year in 2011. Below I have broken down the figures supplied to the media by JLR.

JLR Combined:

Period / 2011 / 2010 / Inc-dec
December 31,000 21,350 +45%
Tot Yr 274,300 232,450 +18%


Land Rover:

Period / 2011 / 2010 / Inc-dec
December 26,250 17,000 +54%
Tot Yr 223,600 178,600 +25%


Jaguar:

Period / 2011 / 2010 / Inc-dec
December 4,700 4,300 +9%
Tot Yr 50,700 53,850 -6%

Car Sales Serbia: 2011

Car sales took quite a hit in 2011 and now this is the 4th consecutive year of decrease so things are a bit difficult.

Car maker Zastava became FAS in 2009 (Fiat Automobili Srbija), which makes an obsolete Fiat Punto car. Fiat sales then basically stopped in 2010, but picked up again this year. FAS sales took off for a couple of years, but have fallen badly in 2011, perhaps due to the ending of

Car Sales Ukraine: 2011

After the sales boom and bust of the last decade, the market had a strong growth to it. Lada now has its lowest market penetration that I know of, and Hyundai will take top spot very soon you would think. Opel was 8th as recently as 2006, but now they fight just for a top 30 spot. Chinese brand Chery crashed from 6th to 15th. It was a good year for European sourced vehicles, as they happily

BMW MINI Sales By Country: 2011

I'm not keen on BMW cars, nor do I understand their seeming obsession with being the largest selling premium brand. However, they have been very good at handling the MINI marque. In 2011 196,000 (69%) of MINI sales were of UK sourced models, and 89,000 (31%) came from Austria. Where did they sell? I have a fairly comprehensive list: 1 USA 57,511 +26%2 UK 50,138 +14%3 Germany 40,345 +28%4 France

Car Sales Slovenia: 2011

The car market here has proved very consistent. It hasn't had the recent 'boom and bust' cycle of other countries. They have one car plant (Renault - 200,000 made in 2010), and that brand naturally enough leads sales. European marques dominate, but not premium ones.

Jaroslav from the Czech Rep suggested increase/decrease figure were more useful than market share, which you can roughly tell for

Car Sales Greece: 2011

To say that the Greek economy is in a mess is comparably to the statement 'one legged ducks swim in circles'. It would be nice to say that there is light at the end of the tunnel, but there isn't. However, many in Greece seem to think the world won't let them collapse, and in that they may have a point. There is a fear of a domino effect.

Whatever the outcome, the car market is imploding. That

Car Sales Romania: 2011

Car sales were down in 2011, reflecting challenging economic circumstances. Local brand Dacia continues to rule the roost in its home market, although with a decreased share of it. Premium brands all did well, despite the downturn.

1 Dacia 23,600 28.9%
2 Volkswagen 8,700 10.7%
3 Skoda 7,600 9.3%
4 Renault 6,900 8.4%
5 Ford 4,800 5.9%
6 Opel 4,550 5.6%
7 Chevrolet 2,950 3.6%
8 Toyota 2,750 3.4%

Car Sales Lithuania: 2011

Getting any sales data from Lithuania has always been difficult. In fact I do not even have 2010 figures to compare with 2011, except for five brands. If anyone can help with 2010 or earlier, it would be appreciated.

The market had a 48.5% increase, after a couple of very poor years. VW consolidated its top spot and Nissan lifted into 2nd, but from what position I do not know. Its Qashqai model

Vehicle Sales Venezuela: 2011

It seems the government here plays a major role in what is allowed to sell, mainly locally made. Many brands have disappeared off the scene in the last couple of years. Whatever the politics, people still want vehicles and this is what sold in 2011:

1 GM 44,000 36.5%
2 Ford 26,000 21.5%
3 Toyota 10,100 8.4%
4 Chrysler 9,700 8.0%
5 Hyundai 7,850 6.5%
6 Mitsubis 6,350 5.3%
7 Kia 5,600 4.6%
8

Car Sales Latvia: 2011

The economic downturn of a few years ago really hurt this Baltic State, but 2011 saw a sharp reversal of fortune, for the better. Sales up nearly 80% must have been a much needed boost for car importers and dealers.

VW took a massive leap forward and accounted for one in five cars sold. Toyota, top brand from 2002 to 2010, wilted badly. Nissan jumped from 13th to 3rd, so things suddenly happen