This weekend, car salesmen around America have donned wigs and beards in a bid to tempt reluctant buyers back into dealerships for Presidents' Day sales.
The long weekend traditionally kicks off the industry's spring buying season, and General Motors, Honda and Toyota are among the carmakers offering aggressive sales and marketing promotions.
As they do, carmakers and dealers are seizing on a rare positive indicator: the used-car market is reviving. Prices and volumes of used vehicles have been rising in the US and major West European markets since the end of last year.
“The used-car market has come roaring back,” Jim Farley, Ford Motor's head of marketing, said last week. “That shows that there is some credit availability out there.”
The trend, if it continues, would be welcome news for both carmakers suffering massive drops in demand and financially endangered dealer groups, many of which have been selling new vehicles at little or no profit, but can earn better margins on used ones.
“It's a glimmer of hope for the industry,” says Jesse Toprak, senior analyst with Ed- , the US car buying website.
After suffering their largest monthly decline ever in October, average wholesale prices for used vehicles in the US, the world's largest car market, rose in November and December and were up another 3 per cent in January, according to Adesa, one of America's biggest vehicle auction houses.
In the UK, where the value of the average used car fell by 20 per cent last year, wholesale prices have climbed about 5 per cent this year, according to Glass's Guide, which follows used-car valuations.
“Immediately after Christmas, consumers started appearing in significant numbers,” Adrian Rushmore, Glass's Guide's managing editor, said. “Retail demand for used cars picked up and has continued since.”
參考譯文：
上周末，為了總統(tǒng)日(Presidents' Day)的銷售，美國(guó)各地的汽車銷售人員紛紛戴上假發(fā)假須，以吸引不情愿的買家回到經(jīng)銷店。
這個(gè)長(zhǎng)周末傳統(tǒng)上會(huì)拉開(kāi)美國(guó)汽車業(yè)新春購(gòu)買季的序幕，通用汽車(General Motors)、本田(Honda)和豐田(Toyota)等汽車廠商都推出了積極的市場(chǎng)促銷舉措。
它們這樣做的時(shí)候，汽車制造商和經(jīng)銷商都捕捉到了一個(gè)罕有的積極信號(hào)：二手車市場(chǎng)正在復(fù)蘇。自去年末以來(lái)，美國(guó)和主要西歐市場(chǎng)二手車的價(jià)格和銷量都在不斷上升。
福特汽車(Ford Motor)市場(chǎng)營(yíng)銷負(fù)責(zé)人吉姆?法萊(Jim Farley)上周表示：“二手車市場(chǎng)已迅速回暖。這表明，市場(chǎng)上存在一些可用信貸?！?/SPAN>
對(duì)于遭受需求大幅下降的汽車制造商和陷入財(cái)務(wù)困境的經(jīng)銷商集團(tuán)來(lái)說(shuō)，如果這一趨勢(shì)得以繼續(xù)下去將是一個(gè)受歡迎的信號(hào)。許多經(jīng)銷商銷售新車只有微薄的利潤(rùn)或是根本無(wú)利可圖，而銷售二手車的利潤(rùn)要高一些。
美國(guó)汽車購(gòu)買網(wǎng)站的高級(jí)分析師杰西?托普拉克(Jesse Toprak)表示：“這給汽車業(yè)帶來(lái)了一點(diǎn)希望之光?！?/SPAN>
美國(guó)最大汽車拍賣行之一Adesa的數(shù)據(jù)顯示，自去年10月份遭遇了歷史上最大月度降幅后，美國(guó)二手車批發(fā)均價(jià)在隨后兩月均有所回升，在今年1月又上漲了3%。
在英國(guó)，追蹤二手車價(jià)值的Glass's Guide稱，該國(guó)去年二手車價(jià)值平均下降了20%，但今年以來(lái)，批發(fā)價(jià)格已上升了約5%。
Glass's Guide總編輯阿德里安?拉什莫(Adrian Rushmore)表示：“圣誕節(jié)剛過(guò)，消費(fèi)者就開(kāi)始大量涌現(xiàn)。二手車零售需求有所上升，而且一直持續(xù)至今?！?/SPAN>
（轉(zhuǎn)載）
