The Dubai International Motor Show in November strengthened our view of how well the industry has recovered.

As mentioned last month, the market sentiment is high and it looks like we are going to finish with another record year for new car sales. Speaking to our contacts on the various manufacturers stands at the show revealed that a surprising number of orders were taken over the 5 days. Three of the manufacturers that I spoke to had sold some of the cars that were actually on the stand! A very good sign indeed and long may it continue.

The great “stock hunt” continues in the used car market and we are being asked why it is difficult to find 2008/2009 model year cars. To answer this we have to look back at what happened in 2008/2009. This was the period of the great downturn in economy for the region and the level of new car sales fell dramatically.

If you look back at the Market Report for August we highlighted the point that if you sell less new cars you will have less used cars further down the line.

Another point to note is the reports we are getting about the export market. Russia and its surrounding states used to be a big market for SUVs such as Land Cruiser and Patrol. However, we are now being told that the demand is now for small hatchbacks such as Yaris and Tiida. In particular, 2007 and 2008 models, which creates even more pressure on the supply of used cars. One saving grace is that the export market may well take the quality of vehicle that does not meet the standard required for our internal use.

It just remains to wish everybody a successful last month of the year and we look forward to supporting you throughout 2012.

Bill Carter
Head of Valuations
Autodata Middle East
Email: bcarter@autodata.ae

Dear Reader, We are proud to announce our cooperation with Al Habtoor Motors. This partnership demonstrates the importance of having a strategic method in-which to increase and control used car stock and marketing platforms when developing a certified and used car program. Al Habtoor has a huge appetite in growing the Car Zone brand with many solutions being powered by Autodata- we wish all involved continued success and look forward to working closely together in the future. Ian Batey General Sales Manager Autodata Middle East Email: ibatey@autodata.ae