Europe's Top Ten Cars Euro-Trashed In April

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

Yesterday, we brought you the bad news about European auto sales in April. You are a gearhead, you don’t care about market share and percentiles, you care about cars! Here is how cars fared in Europe in April. Are you safely buckled-up?

Europe’s Top 10 Models, April 2012Make & ModelApr ’12Apr ’11YoYYtD ’12YtD ’11YoYVOLKSWAGEN GOLF37,15142,492-12.60%159,773166,083-3.80%FORD FIESTA25,92728,444-8.80%117,108130,305-10.10%VOLKSWAGEN POLO24,19331,476-23.10%111,615125,529-11.10%RENAULT CLIO20,60422,336-7.80%86,946111,359-21.90%OPEL/VAUXHALL CORSA20,33824,357-16.50%93,838108,713-13.70%OPEL/VAUXHALL ASTRA20,01924,445-18.10%84,129104,356-19.40%FORD FOCUS19,67721,008-6.30%94,54792,6792.00%FIAT PANDA17,26816,7243.30%65,51672,280-9.40%BMW SERIES 317,17114,70716.80%53,92853,0011.70%VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT16,86322,315-24.40%72,37975,842-4.60%

It’s a carnage in Europe’s Top Ten, brought to you by JATO Dynamics. Forget about the EU market tanking by 6.9 percent. If your name is Martin Winterkorn and your bread and butter models were euro-trashed by the double digits, then your white hair will turn a little whiter.

The performance of Opel’s supposed volume models also is no reason for joy. Ford’s offerings hang in there with the overall market.

As we get into the summer months, this is likely to get worse. Keep those belts on.

Bertel Schmitt
Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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 4 comments
  • Detroit-X Detroit-X on May 17, 2012

    If fuel was $10/gallon, I'd stop buying cars too.

  • Carbiz Carbiz on May 17, 2012

    Eurabia is sliding over the edge of an abyss. Their high fuel prices are only part of it. Brazilians pay about $10 a gallon, too, and it hasn't hurt their car sales. They just buy smaller cars.

  • Jogrd Jogrd on May 17, 2012

    Shouldn't there be a comment that Fiesta sales are in the toilet in Europe as well?

  • CJinSD CJinSD on May 17, 2012

    Isn't this pretty much academic with Europe about to join the ranks of the former civilizations?

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