New car sales rise

Press, 18 February 1983, Page 2

New car sales rise

PA Wellington New car sales in New Zealand rose last month after December sales had been disastrously low. However, the figures were still well below the rate of 12 months ago. Post Office figures released yesterday show that 5989 new cars were registered in January, well up on the December figure of 4556. The number was, however, 22 per cent lower than the January, 1982, figurejbf 7318, which began a six-month sales boom before the market slumped in the second half of the year. December and January are traditionally low sales months, but last month’s sales, were about the same level as last September, October, and November.

Toyota New Zealand’s chief executive, Mr Robert Field, said in Wellington yesterday that January was always a difficult month to interpret because of the holiday pattern, but he thought there was a sign that the market might be recovering. “A lot of people are beginning to realise that the price of cars is going to go up in a short time,” he said. “Late last year there was the effect of the price freeze and a general feeling that car prices were not going to go up. and might even go down.”