/ 5 November 1997

Car prices slow down

WEDNESDAY, 4.00PM:

CAR sales for October 97 have dropped by nearly 25% against sales for the same period last year. The National Association of Automobile Manufactures of SA said 6790 less cars were sold this October, from last year’s 27 814. He also noted significantly fewer commercial vehicles, minibuses and bakkies were sold last month.

WEDNESDAY, 9.00AM:

CAR sales have slowed down, and manufacturers are stuck with surplus stock, the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers announced on Tuesday. Manufacturers face the choice of either reducing their working weeks, or extending the traditional Christmas period shutdown.

BMW, Delta, Toyota and Nissan have all extended their December shutdowns to four weeks, and some are using the period to launch in-company training programmes. Component manufacturers, who appear to be the worst hit, have already reverted to three-day working weeks.