Sales headed for one million

A seven figure tally was “in the bag,” Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries chief executive Andrew McKellar said as record sales figures for November were released.

New car and truck sales in Australia leaped by more than 10 per cent last month with 92,081 vehicles were retailed last month. That took demand for the 11 months to the end of November to 963,732, an 8.8 per cent improvement compared to the same period in 2006.

Buyer confidence had not been noticeably interrupted by rises in interest rates and fuel prices or by the Federal election.

“Unless a comet hits Australia the million mark will be comfortably surpassed,” Mr McKellar said.

“The passenger vehicle market has consistently grown at more than eight per cent. As for 2008, at the moment we would again expect a volume of around one million.”

While importers flourished on the strength of the strong Australia dollar, local manufacturers continued to bleed as private buyers continued to favour imported cars such as the Mazda3 and Mitsubishi Lancer to traditional six cylinder family cars.

Buyers also gravitated to medium SUVs and twin cab pick ups such as Toyota's HiLux. New model activity has grown the total SUV market by 15.6 per cent during the year.

Toyota was the top selling company last month with 20,956 vehicles, ahead of Holden with 12,498 and Ford on 9,219.

Toyota was also the leading company on a year-to-date basis with 216,034 vehicles, well clear of Holden on 136,216 and Ford on 99,094.

In the process it sold more vehicles to the end of November than any automotive company has sold in a year.

Toyota remains the only automotive company to have sold 200,000 vehicles in a year.

Even worse for the locals, the fully imported Japanese brand Mazda claimed that “more private buyers put down their money for our cars” than either the Holden Commodore or Ford Falcon, sales of which are sustained largely by sales to fleets.

Mr McKellar said it was “critical” that the new Federal Government reviewed the form of assistance it provides to already heavily subsidised local manufacturers.