Brazil Motor Vehicle Sales Up 15.5% Mid-Feb - Fenabrave
17 Februar 2009 - 5:49PM
Dow Jones News
Brazilian automakers sold 15.5% more cars and trucks in the
first two weeks of February compared with the same period in
January, the National Motor Vehicle Dealership Association, or
Fenabrave, said Tuesday.
Brazil car dealers sold 109,258 units in the first two weeks of
the month.
Sales also rose in comparison to the first half of February
2008, rising 7.4%.
Gustavo Schmidt, sales director at Volkswagen, told Dow Jones
Newswires on Tuesday that higher sales figures would not be a
surprise.
The government temporarily removed an industrial tax on four and
two-door vehicles late in 2008 to compensate for a steep decline in
car sales.
Schmidt said the tax break has brought consumers out to new car
lots. In some cases, sticker prices have declined by as much as
7.4%.
Brazil sold 88,507 cars in the first half of February, up 11.2%
from January sales and 4.6% from the same two week period in
February 2008.
Pickup trucks and SUV sales rose 37.7% to on the month to 20,751
units. Sales in that category were also 21.2% higher than the same
period in February 2008.
The dealership association publishes sales data twice a
month.
Volkswagen was the market leader again so far, continuing from
its No. 1 position in January. Fiat is in a close second, followed
by U.S. automakers General Motors (GM) and Ford (F).
-By Kenneth Rapoza, Dow Jones Newswires, 5511-8812-5961,
kenneth.rapoza@dowjones.com