The Aures Holdings Group, which operates the international AAA Auto and Mototechna car center network, sold a record 66,672 cars this year. This is the highest number in the company’s 33-year history. SUVs are the best-selling type of car, and the company also recorded record sales of electric cars. The group announced this today in a press release.
Record results and possible takeover
The Aures Holdings group operates a network of more than 60 branches in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, and Germany. According to today’s information from Hospodářské noviny, businessman Daniel KÅ™etÃnský is close to taking over the group. According to the newspaper, he has now been granted exclusive negotiating rights for several weeks. The price could be around CZK 12 billion.
“This year seems to be different in terms of sales than we have been used to in previous years. The spring season peaked in March instead of May, and the autumn season seems to have started in July, again two months earlier than usual,” said KarolÃna Topolová, CEO and Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Aures Holdings. In July, the group sold 10,469 vehicles. “It is therefore clear that the organized market is growing, but private resales are declining,” Topolová noted.
Change in purchasing trends and decline in used car prices
According to the group, this year is also seeing a change in purchasing trends. In the Czech Republic and Poland, SUVs have become the best-selling body type, accounting for almost a third of all sales in these countries. In Slovakia, they account for 27 percent, slightly behind hatchbacks. Overall, the Å koda Octavia, Fabia, and Superb models are the most popular cars in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, while the Opel Astra is the most popular in Poland.
The group recorded the greatest growth in interest in electric cars. In the first seven months, it sold around 1,000, which is 100 more than in the whole of last year. “The greatest interest in electric cars is clearly among Czechs, who are already purchasing purely battery-powered cars in two percent of cases. Slovaks are considerably more cautious, with a one percent share, and Poles even more so,” said Topolová. In contrast, interest in diesel cars has stagnated over the last two years. According to Topolová, it remains at around 45 percent in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and over 28 percent in Poland.
According to an analysis by TipCars, the value and prices of used cars have fallen sharply in the last year, both for new and older cars. For example, according to the analysis, some cars older than ten years lost up to two-thirds of their value in the Czech Republic in a single year. “Cars are losing value quickly regardless of their age. The decisive factors are mileage, the number of units on offer, the condition of the car, and technological obsolescence, especially in electric cars,” said TipCars director Marek Knieža. According to him, the decline in prices of used cars may be as sharp as for newer cars. “Buyers thus have the opportunity to purchase a car under conditions that were exceptional just last year. Sellers, on the other hand, should carefully choose the timing of the sale, as a significant loss in value can occur within a few months,” added Knieža.
Source: ÄŒTK
