New car sales in October were 6% up on last October. Sales for the year are down by 12%. It is expected that by the end of the year, sales

will be just short of 80,000, 10,000 fewer cars than last year.

SIMI Press Officer, Suzanne Sheridan noted, "Without Scrappage we have seen new car sales fall and both used cars and the Servicing/Repair sectors have also seen reduced activity so it's been a tough year for the Motor Industry. At this stage though, the Industry is now firmly focused on 2013 and despite consumer concerns about the forthcoming Budget, the good news for car buyers is that Dealers are now quoting prices and cost to change that should mean no unexpected price increases as a result of the Budget."

"There will no doubt be a VRT increase in the Budget but as used car values tend to rise in relation to such increases, the cost to change should not affect buyers. At the moment, dealers are anticipating all of this so consumers can have some certainty if they are planning to buy now."

"Also, at the moment, we understand that many dealerships are offering significant discounts on 2013 cars if the order is placed before the end of the year so there are huge benefits in getting out and shopping around now."

"A change in the registration system has been widely reported and the Industry is very hopeful that consumers will be attracted by the prospect of a new format number plate in January. Cars with a new number plate tend to hold higher value than those under the earlier system so this would be another big plus for buyers in 2013."

"Also, cars are still great value with the average price of a new car today 10% less than 5 years ago."

She continued; "Consumers worry where there is uncertainty, so the Motor Industry has moved to bring a degree of certainty for those who are thinking of buying in January."