The Italian car market experienced a further significant year-on-year fall in September, the total of 109,178 units sold being 37,843, or 25.7%, below the September 2011 total of 147,021. The decline was above the year-on-year fall seen in the previous month, when sales dropped 20.2% to 56,477 and was the lowest September total since 1984.
The Italian Association of the Automotive Industry (ANFIA) figures show that Italian brands accounted for sales of 33,108 in the latest month, down 24.5% from the 43,856 reported in the same month of the previous year, resulting in a small market share gain – to 30.3% from 29.8%. Sales of foreign brands declined 26.3% to 76,070, from 103,165.
Fiat Group Automobiles (FGA) generated sales of 33,032 in September, versus 43,594 in the previous year, a drop of 24.2%, with Fiat brand sales down 22.9% at 23,993 (31,129). Alfa Romeo, Lancia/Chrysler and Jeep sales declined 23.6%, 25.6% and 58.6%, respectively. Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini mustered sales in the month of just 14, 9 and 3, respectively.
The key foreign brand was Volkswagen, with September sales of 9,359 (market share of 8.6%), down just under 13% from the September 2011 total of 10,751 (7.3% share). Despite a year-on-year sales plunge of 38.3% in the latest month, Ford was the number two foreign brand, with sales of 7,154 (share of 6.6%), versus 11,593 (7.9%), with Opel taking third position with sales of 6,689 (6.1%), down 34.2% from 10,169 (6.9%) in the previous year. The only foreign brands to increase sales year-on-year in September were Land Rover, registrations of which increased 35.1% to 1,139 (843), and Kia, which lifted sales 12.2% to 2,141 (1,908). The worst performing foreign brand was Porsche, which suffered a 62.8% decline in sales to just 178 units (478).
The best-selling model across the whole Italian car market in September was the Fiat Panda, with sales of 9,113 units, followed by the Fiat Punto (6,794) and the Fiat 500 (3,544). The Ford Fiesta was the top-selling imported brand, with sales of 3,319, followed by the Volkswagen Golf with 3,101 registrations, 2,795 of which were diesel models, making it the best selling diesel model in the market.
The September totals took the Italian car market in the first nine months of 2012 to 1,090,627, versus 1,371,117 in the January-September 2011 period, a fall of 280,490 units, or 20.5%. Italian brands saw sales fall 21.0% to 324,610 (410,722) while foreign brands saw sales fall 20.2% to 766,017 (960,395).
