Strong January sales figures
February 5, 2008 by Alborz Fallah
The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) has today announced a promising start to the year for the automotive industry. However the news is not good for locally built vehicles.
Last month Australians bought 82,270 new cars and commercial vehicles, an increase of 6.9 per cent over January 2007, which as a whole, is good indication of things to come.
Nonetheless, FCAI chief executive Andrew McKellar has warned that the 6.9 per cent growth may not reflect in the overall end-of-year figures.
The best segments were light (up 8.4 per cent) and small cars as well as SUVs (up 20 per cent) but the once traditional large vehicle segment continued to decline with a significant 20 per cent reduction in sales compared to last year.
If a 20 per cent decline didn’t sound bad enough, when that figure is examined, the cars that suffer the most are from local manufacturers.
Furthermore, sales of locally manufactured models reduced 11.5 per cent, or 1407 vehicles compared to last January but imported cars increased 10.4 per cent.
“While overall sales are buoyant, the results reinforce the significant competitive challenges facing local manufacturers,” Mr McKellar said.
The local manufacturers gamble to go all-out in the large car segment has not paid off and Mr McKellar is pushing for an early commencement of the Federal Government’s scheduled review of the industry
“The review must play a critical role in ensuring future policy arrangements provide an ongoing basis for a sustainable and competitive automotive manufacturing industry in Australia.”
Other factors such as rising petrol prices and an increase in stamp duty have also played a role in shaping the current market trend.
A recent move by the Queensland Government to increase new-vehicle stamp duty has resulted in just 1.2 per cent growth in the sunshine state, in comparison to the national average rise of 6.9 per cent.
Once again Toyota was the market leader in January, with the four-cylinder Corolla taking the honours as Australia’s best-selling car for the month with 3,843 units. Holden’s Commodore came in second with 3210 units.
Print it: 
Bret, who buys ex-fleet Toyota’s ??
Private buyers !!
Why …
Because most recognise that ex-fleet Toyota’s will do a better job for them then a new Holden/Ford when they fork out thier own $20k+
TP, typical uninformed comment – you have not idea do you?
One day, if you ever get into the real world you may understand. The only ex-fleet cars going anywhere near $10k are Camrys – nobody wants the trouble of a used large FWD car.
Bilstein, and where do the fleet companies take the biggest ‘hit’: Camrys.
BTW Funny how quite a few of the Toyota ’supporters’ all make exactly the same gramatical errors. Kinda gives the multiple names/same never ending mantra.
Bret, i’m not sure what you mean about errors or multiple names.
Judging by the strong sales of new and used Camry’s, i also don’t understand what you mean by the trouble of used large FWD cars.
Bret your an idiot, the $10k was an exaggeration I did not mean that to be the exact figures, the point which you avoid is that the reason why Commodores and Falcons still get bought by prviates is because fleet vehicles are CHEAP. 80% of Falcons and Commodores sold are to fleets. The highest selling Totoyta fleet vehicle is the Corolla, at only 60%. Fair enough Toyota have more vheicles in their range to fleets, however you can see with the Corolla for example that its 2nd place in most vehicles OVERALL sold to the Commodore, while when you take fleets away the Corolla gets to number 1 while the Commodore doesnt even feature in the top 5! The point Im making, the people who have stringent criteria for purchasing a vehicles (prviate buyers) tend to buy Toyotas while those who can risk it breaking down etc, as its a company vehicle, buy a Falcon or Commodore which then makes its way to prviate market, cheaper, thus making it worthwhile for people to buy it and take the risk.
TP,
wouldnt it be great if the world was as simple and as easy to comprehend as you seem to think it is.
I assume you are a youngster thats likes listening to your ipod so here is a quote for you to here in full song next time you pop a bit of foam in your ear
“go take a step outside, see whats shakin in the real world”
(John Buttler by the way)
Bret, even unused Falcons depreciate a hell of a lot in a few years. My brother bought a brand new 2005 (Dec build) BFMk2 XT in about April last year and it cost him $11k less (about $23k) than it would to buy a “new” 2007 built car.
TP, just to correct you my friend, fleet sales of the Corolla is approx 40% with the remaining bulk being private as published by DRIVE.
However, despite the Corolla, Camry, Hilux and Cruisers being good fleet sellers, they also enjoy strong private sales far beyond the average percentage of Commodores and Falcons which only have an approx 20% retail selling.
AndrewM Im sorry you cant comprehend common sense…. nothing to do with my logic, its the facts in this case.
Exactly Jbot doesnt take Einstein to realise that either, Falcons and Commodores are renowned for being big depreciators…anyone with a high school level of economics can understand this, lots of sales to fleets, as soon as they are offloaded onto prviate market supply > demand = cheap cheap cheap.
Bilstein 60% was as per drive in like 2006 in article ‘Myth Busted : Australia’s favourite car’… that must have changed then, even better reflection on Toyota!
once again TP,
yes wouldnt it be great if your theories were that simple…
this high school economics you speak of obviously doesnt factor in that possibly there is a higher demand for used commodores and falcons to offset the high numbers of fleet disposal………
of and by the way falcons and commodores are more sought after on the 3nd hand market
last time i looked the camry’s and Aurions dont fare anybetter than commys and falcons.
perhaps even though there is a lower quantity of them on the second hand market it is also obvious when related back to this “high school economics” that the demand on 2nd aurions and camrys is low
Jbot,
just interested, how did your brother get a “new 2005″ model 1 1/2 years after the fact?
he’d want to hope they didnt sting him the full list price
I’m also pretty positive that you wouldnt still be paying list price for an 18 month old Aurion
Andrew, i am not sure were you get your logic from but resonable resale value of the Camry is directly related to it’s positive used market demand.
When it comes to third hand, you can keep it.
The more i read of your comments the more i understand they are shot from the hip with questionable value or substance.
It is easy to pass any comment as one desires but wether it is accurate against the actual market can often be another world.
I am learning to take your responses with a grain of salt based on the reality of the market weighted against your comments.
TP, DRIVE published a special report dedicated to fleet percentage sales of vehicles in mid 2007 and i have sense visited it from time to time to brush up my knowledge.
Latest report, Commodores and Falcons approx 80% fleet bound while 60% of Corolla’s brought privately.
Good chatting with you on this site. Came across it a few days ago at work when someelse was browsing through and have been addicted to it ever sense. I think the wife is getting upset with the time i have spent on the computer lately but i am enjoy the exeriance none the less as there has been alot of rain in my part of the country lately.
Nice weather predicted for tomorrow so probably less contact as i catch up on external house chores such as mowing the lawns and washing the cars.
Not sure how long i can keep going until the boss (wife) cracks down on me put i will persist until then so when i disappear you’ll know when she has won and i lost.
Cheers
mate my logic comes from seeing camrys/aurions beside falcons and commodores in the car yard and papers and seeing that they fare no better in terms of 2nd hand pricing.
also carsales for eg actually shows you the most searched vehicles and the top 2 always happen to be falcon and commodore
where do you get your logic to think that i am wrong?
Andrew, i don’t dispute that Commodore and Faloons are amoung the most researched but what i don’t understand is why such a poor standing when it comes to private sales.
My guess is that most people like to thrash these cars when it is not thier own but won’t actually purchase them with thier own cash because of thier questionable and somewhat grey history as a dependable motor vehicle.
I believe i won’t be to far removed from the truth when i say that.
I, myself enjoy driving a Commodore or Falcon hard but when it comes to being on owner of one and having to support thier often troublesome nature, i all of a sudden become not so keen. Basically, they are OK when they are not mine.
TP, Bilsein
And just what % of fleet corollas are user chooser? I’d bet SFA. A large chunk of Falcon/Commodore fleet sales ARE chosen by the indidual, many are salary sacrificed private sales hidden in the flet numbers.
Camry/380/Magna ARE the do suffer the biggest losses for fleet companies at disposal time – your propaganda cant change real facts.
Bilstein – yep you’ve confirmed your identity and purpose. New ISP was it to get around the ban? Toyota paid stooge!
Hi mates, as a man with passion of car, I will never buy a corolla.