Fiat Auto took a 31.18 percent share of the Italian new car market last month, with the Fiat and Alfa Romeo brands both posting very healthy year-on-year rises, reveals data issued by Italian automotive manufacturer trade body ANFIA. The figures show that 190,460 new vehicles of all brands were sold in Italy last month, up a healthy 6.16 percent year-on-year.

Fiat Auto sold 59,369 vehicles last month, which was strong 10.48 percent up on the 53,732 units they shifted in November 2005.  This gave them a 31.18 percent share of their domestic market last month, up from the 29.96 percent they achieved in the same period of 2005, and above the 31 percent target they have set for themselves. The Fiat brand (including Light Commercial Vehicles) saw 45,890 units registered last month, allowing them to grab a 24.09 percent slice of the overall market. This was also up 12.67 percent year-on-year, as 40,731 Fiat-badged vehicles were sold in November 2005, which was then equivalent to a 22.70 percent of the total market.

Alfa Romeo posted the biggest year-on-year rise amongst the four Fiat Auto brands, up by 19.76 percent after they sold 5,806 cars in November 2006, compared to 4,848 cars shifted during the same period of 2005. This raised their market share from 2.70 to 3.05 percent. However, Lancia slipped slightly, losing 5.99 percent with 7,598 vehicles sold last month compared to 8,082 in November 2005, despite the new Ypsilon accumulating 17,000 orders since it was launched onto the Italian market in September.  Lancia saw their home market share contracting from 4.50 percent in November 2005 to 3.99 percent last month. Of the specialist Fiat-owned brands, Maserati sold 34 sports cars and Ferrari 41.
 

For the first 11 months of 2006, Fiat Auto has now sold 671,904 vehicles, up by 14.83 percent year-on-year. This raises their domestic market share from 27.94 percent for Jan-Nov 2005 to 30.83 percent for this year to date. The Fiat brand accounts for 510,296 sales YTD (23.41 percent of the total market sales), Lancia’s score is 92,968 vehicles (4.26 percent), while Alfa Romeo is on 67,531 units (3.10 percent). Year-on-year, the Fiat brand is up 18.05 percent and Alfa Romeo is up 16.88 percent, while Lancia has dipped 1 percent.

The Fiat Grande Punto (including the outgoing Punto model) was, as is the pattern, the best-selling car in Italy last month, with 17,684 units registered. The Panda was second with 13,241 sales, while the Lancia Ypsilon was the seventh best-seller (4,425). For the year to date, the Punto is far out in front as the biggest seller in Italy with 216,573 sales, while the Panda is in second (139,578) and the Ypsilon fifth (61,218). The Fiat Croma was the biggest-selling car in its category (16.5 percent segment share), while the Multipla also tops its segment with a 16.1 percent share. The Panda 4X4 was the best selling four-wheel drive car in Italy, while the Fiat Doblò was the largest-selling van (8.4 percent segment share). The Punto was also the best-selling diesel last month (9,051), with the Panda in fourth place (4,621) and the Croma seventh (2,573).