Motor vehicle market charges ahead
December 5, 2007 by Alborz Fallah
Global warming, the possibility of Peter Costello as prime minister, high interest rates, it doesn’t seem to matter, we all want new cars. Given the current trend, the Australian motor vehicle market is on track to pass the magic one million mark.
The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (the guys that keep records) released figures today which show a record total of 92,081 cars, trucks and buses were sold last month, a 10.5 per cent increase over the same month last year.
As it stands at the end of November, the total year-to-date sales are 963,732, an increase of 78,129 or 8.8 per cent on the same period last year.
“The continued strength of the Australian dollar is under-pinning the competitiveness of many models and consumers are responding to the improved value for money that is on offer.” the FCAI’s chief executive Andrew McKellar said.
The competitiveness of manufacturers is undoubtedly one of the main reasons behind the surge. With many affordable models now packed with a whole variety of standard features that were only available on ultra-luxury models 5-6 years ago, there is no better time to buy.
With only 36,268 new vehicle sales needed this month, the one million mark should be achieved by mid-December. The previous record of 988,269 motor vehicle sales was set in 2005.
Although the trend towards small cars (and away from large cars) is continuing, the growth has generally been widespread.
Contributing segments in November:
- Small car segment – up 1605 or 9.0 per cent,
- Light cars – up 1555 or 15.4 per cent
- SUV Medium segment – up 1401 or 26.3 per cent
- Pick-up/Cab Chassis 4×2 – up 1654 or 30.5 per cent
- Pick-up/Cab Chassis 4×4 – up 1245 or 21.6 per cent.
As for fuel prices being an issue? Not so. Larger SUV sales have been growing at the same pace as the smaller ones, with many buyers happy to pay the extra cash for more space and practicality, however this SUV trend has not followed through to family cars.
Once against Toyota was the top-selling brand in November with 20,956 sales or 22.8 per cent of the market, ahead of Holden with 12,498 and Ford with 9,219.
Year-to-date Toyota now leads Holden by almost 80,000 vehicles and Ford by almost 117,000.
Print it: 
Wow what a suprise there! Another win for Toyota, at least they didnt outsell Holden and Ford put together this time!
peter costello would have been a good prime minister…alot more worthy that risky rudd…not hard to see where this website stands…
I think it was a joke Saftey…
Guys, guys, its ok, the election’s over. We can all go back to hating politicians like we used to in the good ol’ days. On a more serious note, both holden and ford had sale increases of over a 1000 cars compared to last month, so thats a good recovery from last months sales, especially for ford.
Saftey…
It would appear due to the Labor election win that many prefered Rudd over Costello!
As for last months sales figures, i knew the hoopla over toyota outselling Ford and Holden combined would be shortlived, it was one month out of 12, big deal.
Profit for each brand is far more important.
Did anyone else read the article in drive.com about Mazda AUS selling almost as many cars to private buyers as Toyota AUS? yet Mazda sells 1/4 of the volume compared Toyota AUS?
Proves where toyota are jamming their cars…not surprising at all.
Adam,
i agree totally.
i still cant understand why some in the consumer end of motor vehicle sales get so excited about toyota selling the most vehicles.
why does it mean so much to consumers?
i cant stand people sticking their chest out saying ooohhhhhh toyota out sells others by a mile.
it means nothing unless you are personally getting a comission
Adam (aka Mada) Says:
December 5th, 2007 at 4:50 pm
Saftey…
It would appear due to the Labor election win that many prefered Rudd over Costello!
As for last months sales figures, i knew the hoopla over toyota outselling Ford and Holden combined would be shortlived, it was one month out of 12, big deal.
Profit for each brand is far more important.
Did anyone else read the article in drive.com about Mazda AUS selling almost as many cars to private buyers as Toyota AUS? yet Mazda sells 1/4 of the volume compared Toyota AUS?
Proves where toyota are jamming their cars…not surprising at all.
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Yeah, they are jamming them up fleets managers arses !!!!!
I reckon it’s quite funny as well, how proud and stoical the Toyota fans are that Toyota sells a lot, or the Ford fans who think everything else is out to personally injure them, and Holden fans laugh at both of the other crowds and egg them on, knowing that the old Aussie saying of “Come in Spinner” will be relived again and again.
It’s not as it those fools own shares, or get commissions as Andrew M points out. Let’s face it , who in their right mind gets passionate about a Festiva just because it has a Ford badge? And to love a Volvo as soon as Ford buys it, when the week before a Volvo was the worst piece of crap anyone could be seen in.
The problem is small cohones, for when such a mouse chooses a Toyota or Ford car and receives criticism, it will quickly fly off the handle and spew all sorts of nonsense, like saying Petulantly that Toyota sells more, or Lexus is better, or Holdenwoo is rubbish, etc, etc.
When a man buys a Holden, he has no such issues, and if a mouse buys something else, the Holden man doesn’t care and doesn’t feel belittled. Such a man can also say that the Mondeo looks quite good compared to the last Mondeo effort which was total rubbish, but the Mazda 6 is receiving even higher praise, and Mazda sells to private buyers who are obviously more discerning than fleet buyers.
Have a good apoplexy :)
http://www.theage.com.au/artic.....16983.html
This might help explain Toyota financial situation somewhat.
So i ask, where will Toyota be in 5-10 years time with the amount of fleet sales they are pushing? Honda, Mazda, subaru don’t push fleet sales and retain healthy retail sales and profit while maintaining brand resale value.
Mazda has bluntly stated that it plans no expansion on fleet sales yet is closing the gap with Ford purely driven by retail sales.
So which is really important, market leadership or healthy profit per unit?
reckless you have calmed down a bit lately.
if you had just said what you said a little while ago i would have asked if you were being the pot or the kettle.
you cant deny you have a great bias for holden as you have disp[layed many times……..ha ha ha ha ha come on mate you can admitt it
i wouldnt get excited about a festiva firstly because they dont make them anymore and secondly i would never buy such a car. i see the point you are trying to make though.
also with the last bit on fleet sales RE mazda etc, you will find that ford dont want to fill the fleet market with them either. i think they are happy to let toyota sell at cut throat prices to the fleets.
but i must say it is the ford fans that are pretty much the only ones that could give you good reasoning to buy a ford. yes there are some ford fans on here that do dribble crap but all toyota fans can keep saying is toyota sells more and all holden fans say is ford looks like shite.
Ford fans are the best… Toyota number 1 manuacturer in the world means nothing, we have the Typoon, best car in the Universe, in Europe they would be sold for $500k they are so good.
You would by some other car than a typhoon with 500k for sure!
I’m planning to buy next years Typhoon, but for $500K I’d be wanting a Lamborghini.
FFF you might want to tone it down a touch mate. Typhoon is an awesome car, that’s why I’m going to buy one.
Comparing it to Ferrari and Lambo, and saying it’s the best in the universe makes the rest of us Ford fans look a little silly.