2013 saw a mix in new car sales: Europe, Japan, and India continue to weaken while the USA, Russia, China and Brazil grow strongly.
January and February 2013 car sales continued to rise in the USA, China, Brazil and Russia while the European, Japanese, and Indian markets contracted further. China remains the largest single national car market despite a weak February due to national holidays.
Worldwide Car Sales in 2013 (January & February)
International car sales in January and February according to the German Verband der Automobilindustrie were:
| Region | Â January & February 2013 | % Change | February 2013 | % Change |
| Europe (EU+EFTA) | Â 1,748,100 | -9.3 | Â 829,400 | -10.2 |
| Russia | Â 372,700 | 3 | Â 210,700 | 1.6 |
| USA | Â 2,227,300 | 8.3 | Â 1,188,100 | 3.7 |
| Japan | Â 745,000 | -7.8 | Â 412,900 | -8.1 |
| Brazil | Â 519,900 | 6.4 | Â 222,700 | -5.6 |
| India | Â 468,900 | -10.9 | Â 226,500 | -16.7 |
| China | Â 2,528,900 | 28.4 | Â 985,500 | -2.3 |
| Source: VDA |
See also: 2013 January International Car Sales
Chinese Car Market Continues to Expand
The Chinese car market contracted by 2.3% during February 2013 but this decline was due to the Chinese New Year holidays falling in February this year as opposed to January in 2012. Weak car sales in China in February were balanced by the very strong increase of 60% in January.
For the first two months of 2013, China remains the largest single national car market in the world. German car manufacturers continue to enjoy huge sales successes in China.
In contrast, the Indian market continues to disappoint. Sales were down 10.9% over the two-month period with the Indian car market barely a fifth the size of the Chinese market.
After a very strong 2012, car sales in Japan were weaker in 2013.
USA – Largest Car Market in February 2013
The USA was the largest single national car market during February 2013. The USA was the only market to have exceeded a million car sales during the calendar month. However, over the two-month period, the Chinese market remains the larger.
In Brazil, car sales were down in February but positive over the two-month period.
Weak Car Sales in Europe in February 2013
The European Union car market continues to struggle with Britain the only major car market to show growth. In contrast, the Russian market continues to expand with positive growth in both February and January 2013.
