Market Research

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Spain car sales are expected to achieve a new record with volume projected to reach more than 1.6 million units in 2005. The record follows a 9% sales increase that resulted in an unprecedented 1.5 million new passenger vehicle sales in 2004. Small-size cars are the most popular choice of Spanish consumers, although light truck sales are growing rapidly and represented 18% of the total in 2004. Spain is the fifth-largest car market in Europe, trailing Germany, France, the UK and Italy. Spain is among the top five markets for the specialty industry and is therefore very important.

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Brazil has all the ingredients to grow into a strong market for specialty and performance parts and accessories. “The people are passionate about cars, trucks and motorsports and there is great interest among young people in tuning,” noted SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting, who recently returned from a trip to Brazil.

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The German market, the largest in Western Europe, is at the forefront of producing and accessorizing cars which look good and drive fast. With its renowned Autobahn, on which speeds of 200 km an hour (125 mph) are common, a highly developed culture of vehicle customization exists.

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United States specialty product suppliers can succeed with marketing and sales efforts in the vast—168 million registered vehicles—European market. But given the differences in the European marketplace in terms of vehicle mix, consumer preferences and government regulation, it is not enough for American companies to simply ship merchandise primarily designed for U.S. vehicles to outlets in Europe, sit back and expect volume sales on a scale comparable to that which is established in the States.

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The U.K. market, the fourth largest in Western Europe, is also one of the easiest markets in Western Europe for SEMA-member companies to gain a foothold. The lack of language barriers and the relatively regulation-free environment regarding vehicle customization form a basis for exploring the market. These two factors, coupled with a sizable and growing portion of British consumers who seek to personalize their vehicles, make the U.K. market attractive for specialty equipment companies.