We did our bit

Pam and I bought ourselves new cars last year which helped in a small way the increase in sales experienced by dealers in the province.

Since 2007, new car sales in Spain have dropped sharply with the exception of 2010 when the state offered aid to buyers.

With the implementation of the PIVE plan and the generous discounts offered by garages, sales increased in 2013 by 7.19%, a total of 38,965 cars. That compares well with the increase for the whole of Spain which was 3.3%. Pam and I did not qualify for PIVE but we were offered very good discounts on the cars we bought. I also got a fair price for the car I traded in.

Although this is encouraging news for the dealers, we must still remember that half the cars in circulation throughout Spain are over ten years old. With massive unemployment in the country and job uncertainty, it is unlikely that many will be tempted to contemplate a new car in the near future. 

Out of the cars sold in Alicante province, Ford were still the best seller followed by Volkswagen who actually increased their sales by 21.37%. A long way back came Opel followed by Citroen, Seat and Renault. I’m not sure where Skoda came in the list but I do know that Pam and I accounted for two of their sales.

PS I passed a Ford Orion on the CV-95 last Friday. That car was produced from 1990 to 1994 making the vehicle I saw at least 20 years old. The old girl might have been travelling slowly but there was no blue smoke from the exhaust and the bodywork looked reasonably tidy.