LOS ANGELES — New-vehicle sales are expected to decline in 2018 as used powersports sales and wholesale competition continues to rise, according to National Powersport Auctions.
The 2018 prediction does not come out of left-field, as new unit sales fell during the 2008 financial crisis and have been slowly recovering. Meanwhile preowned unit sales have stayed robust, especially during the downturn, Tony Altieri, NPA’s director of business development, said during a presentation at a MotoLease dealer seminar in Los Angeles last week.
Used-retail sales will continue to increase as “more entities recognize opportunities in used; dealers continue to keep or retail a broader used mix; and finance companies offer more options on used [powersports], “Altieri said.
