9:49 am, January 16, 2019
USED car dealer stock in the UK is increasingly being searched by buyers in other European countries with just 10 weeks to go until Brexit, according to a new Motors.co.uk report.
Latest data from the used car classified advertising website shows that although visitor numbers from UK buyers are themselves up by 29 per cent year-on-year and still account for 92 per cent of visitors, the data shows a notable rise in searches from continental European buyers.
Dermot Kelleher
Europe’s two other right-hand drive markets led the increase, with searches from Cyprus rising by 125 per cent and Ireland up by 58 per cent between November 1, 2018 and January 14, 2019.
Motors.co.uk also found year-on-year increases in searches from France (48 per cent), Spain (77 per cent) and Germany (32 per cent).
Dermot Kelleher, Motors.co.uk’s director of marketing and business intelligence, said: ‘With the government losing yesterday’s crunch vote on Brexit and the continued weakening of the pound against the euro, some continental European buyers are taking advantage of the uncertainty caused by Brexit by searching the UK’s dealer stock for possible bargains.
‘While we don’t expect a major uplift in sales of used cars to continental customers, dealers willing and able to export should be prepared for inquiries, especially from Ireland and Cyprus.’
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