Photo: Ford
Ford dealers found an interesting but very controversial way to boost European sales: they sold cars to each other in order to make figures look better than they really were, Bloomberg reports.
This artificially boosted car sales by up to 30 percent, even though the seller and the buyer were practically one and the same, and they changed hands only on paper. This figure comes from Roelant de Waard, vice president of marketing, sales and service at Ford of Europe, who says overall sales in Germany, Europe’s largest car market, are currently boosted 30% by this industry-spread method.
“It is a very aggressive environment and until either demand picks up or capacity is adjusted to the situation, it’s unlikely going to change,” de Waard said today during an interview with Bloomberg at the Paris Motor Show. “You have to live with the realities of the industry.”
Waard said he sees sales flat from the 2012 to 2013 provided there are no government incentives on the way. Only in 2014 is a feasible recovery possible.
Ford’s European sales declined 29 percent in August 2012 from the same month a year ago. At the same time, their market share was reduced by 1.7%.
“It is a very aggressive environment and until either demand picks up or capacity is adjusted to the situation, it’s unlikely going to change,” de Waard said today during an interview with Bloomberg at the Paris Motor Show. “You have to live with the realities of the industry.”
Waard said he sees sales flat from the 2012 to 2013 provided there are no government incentives on the way. Only in 2014 is a feasible recovery possible.
Ford’s European sales declined 29 percent in August 2012 from the same month a year ago. At the same time, their market share was reduced by 1.7%.
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