New car sales recovery still a very long way off, says leading automotive economist

Author:

ROBIN ROBERTS

Britain’s recovery in car sales will skid to 2016, says leading international economist Prof Garel Rhys.

That’s two years later than he predicted in 2008 when he said the country was heading into a decline which could last until 2014 unless there was a double dip decline. That has now happened.

“The double dip could easily put us back to 2016 and that is now looking more and more likely,” said Prof Rhys, who is the chairman of the Welsh Automotive Forum.

“A top civil servant has said it could take up to 10 years of austerity in public spending and more people are gradually seeing the truth in that.”

“Our market is totally unrealistic and it cannot go on the way it has. In fact there is more likelihood of a major decline, the like of which we haven’t seen yet in the industry.”