The end of Greek opulence, as depicted in luxury car sales, was detailed by the British newspaper The Guardian which reported not a single Ferrari has been sold in two years and that the sales of big-money cars has fallen precipitously.
As highlighted among others in the article, the collapse of the car market was inevitable for crisis-stricken Greece.
Nearly four years into the country’s huge financial crisis, new vehicles registered with the transport ministry up to July this year dropped by more than 75% from the same seven months in 2008 according to the Greek Association of Motor Vehicle Importers Representatives (AMVIR).
The group’s General Manager Dimitris Patsios said that, “During the first six months of 2013, some 30,364 passenger cars were registered compared to an average of 125,340 over the past decade.”
He said that, “Total exports, for all kinds of cars, have soared from 3,035 cars in 2010 to 22,053 in 2012,” adding that runaway duties on super cars had effectively “eliminated demand” for them.
The owner of the lone Ferrari shop in Athen said only one was sold two years ago, a 458 Spider (top speed 198mph) that reportedly went to a Briton who wanted to bypass waiting lists in the United Kingdom.
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