lISI
AUTOMOTIVE
ANEWHISTORICRECORD
FORGLOBALCARSALES
56
LISI 2013
T
heworldmarket forprivatevehiclesandvansachievedanother
historichigh in2013withover 84million vehicles soldaround
theworld,whichwas a growthof 3.9% in sales as compared
with 2012. The North Americanmarket (up 7.6%) and the
Chinesemarket (up 14.2%)were the twomainengines of this
growth,while the Europeanmarket remains inpoor shapewith anew
drop of 1.8% in sales. Only the Britishmarket, up 10.8%, showed real
strength.However,someencouragingsignsappearedduring thesecond
halfof theyear incontinental Europe,withaparticular rebound in sales
posted in theSpanish,FrenchandGermanmarkets.
29millionvehiclesfor3manufacturers
Among theworld’smajor players, threemanufacturers exceeded the
9million vehicles produced per yearmark.With 9.8million vehicles
Toyota is scratching the symbolic 10million mark and has retaken
its place as leader from General Motors (9.7 million vehicles) and
Volkswagen (9.5million). The Renault-Nissan partnership, which this
yearhasbenefitted fromgrowthatNissanandnewmodelsatDacia,has
fourthplacewithalmost8.3millionvehiclesassembled.TheFrenchPSA
group,whichhas justsignedastrategicalliancewithDongfengofChina,
hasagainseenadrop in itsproductionto2.8millionassembledvehicles.
Motoredby theUSAandChina, theglobal car
market continues togrowstructurallybut still
remainsveryslow inEuropedespiteencouraging
signsofa recovery in thesecondhalf.
