The Car Industry in Spain: 2005 Update
Spain is World's Number 3 Car Exporter
Spain is a large market for the importing of vehicles and the world's third
largest car exporter, behind Japan and France. But in the three first months of
2005, there are signs of alarm. The stagnation or backward movement of the main
markets for Spanish cars (Germany, France and Italy) has hit the Spanish
factories, with production reduced by 15.2% and exports by 11%. Factories worst
affected are Citroën, Vigo (-21.7%), Ford, Valencia (-18.1%), Seat, Barcelona
(-18.1%) and Opel in Zaragoza (-16%). The Nissan factory in Zona Franca,
Barcelona was the only one that had an improvement of the production, 21.6%,
thanks to the launch of the Pathfinder.
The place of production of a car is not a determinant factor in the sale. In an
industry mundializada, the multinationals do not incorporate the manufactured in
Spain as business strategy. In the 2004, the cars sold in the country that you
left of the 18 Spanish plants were a 30% of the total. But yes a local effect by
the one exists that in the next area to a factory cars of that model are sold
more.
To>> The buyers do not value the origin
The times in which everyone identified the 600 as a tourism manufactured in
Barcelona they remain already very far away. The consumer does not include in
the purchase motivations list the place of production, but the price and, to a
lot of distance, the prestige and image of mark, the security, the benefits, the
design and the consumption, according to a study of AC Nielsen. With respect to
the intention of purchase, the marks preferred are Peugeot, Audi and Renault,
you followed to more distance by Citroën and Seat. The reality is that from
January to April, the five most sold marks were Renault, Citroën, Ford, Peugeot
and Seat, that have a long tradition of best-seller.
Reduction in the number of cars made in Spain
The factories of outside cars of Spain removed a greater benefit of the
increment of the market in the 2004 with an increase of the importings of
171.000 tourisms, equivalent al 19%. On the other hand, the sales of vehicles
made in Spain descended a 7,4% and they passed to have a weight in the assembly
of registrations of almost the 36% al 30%, according to the report on the sector
of the transport edited by the service of studies of the Fira of Barcelona
because of the Parlor of the Car. The president of the association of
manufacturers (Anfac) and of Renault Spain, Juan Antonio Fernández Seville,
assures that the oscillation of sales of the cars manufactured in the country is
owed only al cycle of life of those models and al launch of some new.
Nevertheless it admits a "local or regional effect" in the areas where
they are installed the factories. "Everyone in Palencia and Valladolid --
indicates -- knows that the Megane and the Modus are produced in the factories
that Renault has there". The same can tell itself of Ford in Valencia, Opel
in Zaragoza, Citroën in Vigo, Peugeot in Madrid, and Seat and Nissan in
Barcelona. In the case of Seat, Spain is the most important market with a 34% of
the sales in the 2004.
C>> The most expensive car, a Nissan of 40.000 euro
Spain is a great low and average range cars factory. The specialization arrives
al extreme to be become supplier unique world, as in the case of the Modus. Some
of the best-seller they have the local seal, like the Citroën C3 (Madrid) and
Xsara Picasso (Vigo), the Renault Megane (Palencia), the Ford Focus (Valencia),
the Seat Ibiza (Martorell), the Opel Corsican and Meriva (Zaragoza) and the
Volkswagen Pole (Pamplona). One of the news of the Parlor of the Car, the
off-road vehicle of Nissan Pathfinder and its derived pick up Navara, will
become the car of higher price (40.000 euro) and of "greater technological
level" of them produced in Spain, as said with pride the delegated
counselor, José Vicente of the Boys. The productive specialization of Spain in
that range of vehicles can lead to him some problems by the growing competence
situated in the other extreme of Europe and in other continents. An example is
the replacement of the model one Volkswagen Lupo, manufactured in Germany, and
Seat Arosa, produced in Martorell, by the Fox, a small car that comes from
Brazil. Several multinationals have placed in motion projects to manufacture in
Europe of the east small cars for take advantage of thus the smaller production
costs. Renault manufactures in Romania the model one Logan, that wants to become
a car popular in emerging countries and to obtain a pinch in the western
markets. To Spain will come leave from June as scout in Europe western. In
Barcelona will also be able to see the new car that will manufacture jointly
Toyota, Peugeot and Citroën in the Czech Republic.
World Markets Automotive Productivity Index for Europe - Results for 2000
cont.
Actual Vehicles per Employee
Manufacturer Produced 1997 1998 1999 2000
Plant Country in 2000
Nissan Sunderland UK 327,701 98 105 94 101
Toyota Burnaston UK 171,338 58 72 81 86
Ford Saarlouis Germany 383,893 59 59 77 81
GM Eisenach Germany 145,200 77 76 82 81
Ford Valencia Spain 343,794 57 58 73 77
GM Antwerp Belgium 329,300 n/a n/a 63 77
Renault Valladolid Spain 280,667 59 64 71 77
Volkswagen Pamplona Spain 376,164 77 76 60 77
Fiat Melfi Italy 364,882 70 73 70 76
Renault Novo Mesto Slovenia 122,919 n/a n/a n/a 73
Renault Palencia Spain 255,621 n/a n/a 69 71
SEAT Martorell Spain 516,146 69 69 66 71
Renault Flins France 379,722 57 59 80 70
Renault Douai France 399,933 61 68 68 67
Renault Maubeuge France 245,648 n/a 56 63 67
PSA Aulnay France 401,370 51 58 62 64
GM Zaragoza Spain 373,600 67 67 69 62
GM Bochum Germany 350,000 n/a n/a n/a 62
Ford Dagenham UK 148,000 62 61 60 62
Fiat Termini Italy 153,265 n/a n/a n/a 61
Im.
GM Ellesmere UK 169,200 n/a n/a n/a 60
Port
PSA Mulhouse France 425,764 55 58 61 59
Fiat Tychy Poland 241,651 n/a n/a n/a 59
Fiat Mirafiori Italy 379,733 54 61 58 57
PSA Vigo Spain 437,162 35 52 52 56
Honda Swindon UK 74,017 62 64 83 55
PSA Ryton UK 187,797 n/a n/a n/a 55
Peugeot
Daimler Rastatt Germany 200,000 n/a n/a 48 53
Chrysler
MG Rover Longbridge UK 178,557 34 31 n/a 52
(1)
GM Luton UK 112,900 39 43 47 49
Volkswagen Wolfsburg Germany 686,240 39 42 50 46
Volvo Ghent Belgium 122,200 n/a n/a n/a 45
Fiat (2) Cassino Italy 219,096 39 40 44 See
note
PSA Poissy France 282,985 36 45 43 44
Volvo (3) Born Netherlands 156,336 36 50 n/a 40
Volvo Torslanda Sweden 133,680 n/a n/a n/a 40
PSA Madrid Spain 166,272 n/a n/a n/a 40
Peugeot
PSA Mangualde Portugal 49,753 n/a n/a n/a 40
Peugeot
PSA Rennes France 245,860 n/a 41 39 35
GM Russelsheim Germany 189,400 n/a n/a n/a 34
Skoda Mlada Czech 264,592 33 35 32 34
Boleslav Republic
PSA Sochaux France 250,861 25 31 31 34
Renault Sandouville France 194,831 36 41 40 32
Volkswagen Emden Germany 225,693 28 37 29 27
Source: World Markets Research Centre (WMRC)
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