Car sales up 9.2 per cent in March, though signs of weakness increasing: Desrosiers

DesRosiers Automotive Consultants Inc. says March auto gross sales had been up 9.2 per cent from final yr, however it marks a slowdown from a document February acquire.

It says an estimated 159,000 models had been bought final month, whereas gross sales for the primary quarter total totalled 401,000 automobiles, up 15.3 per cent from the primary quarter final yr.

DesRosiers says final month’s gross sales nonetheless stand far under pre-pandemic March gross sales of greater than 180,000 automobiles.

Andrew King, managing associate at DesRosiers, says pent-up demand from provide chain woes continued to spice up gross sales exercise as automobile availability approached normalization.

However, King says there are growing warning indicators as a divide begins to emerge within the automobile market.

He says a slowdown within the luxurious market is turning into extra evident because the mainstream automobile market stays comparatively regular.