Spain 1993: Opel Astra new best-seller in weakest market in 7 years (-24.1%)

The Opel Astra is Spain’s new favourite vehicle.

Very difficult year for Spanish new car sales in 1993, down an abysmal -24.1% to just 741.411 units, the weakest result since 1986. Renault (-31.2%) falls even faster than the market but remains atop the brands ranking at 16.2% share vs. 14.2% for Ford (-23.1%) and 13.9% for Opel (-15.5%) in an unchanged podium. Seat (-19.5%) and Peugeot (-20.9%) both overtake Citroen (-30.3%) while Fiat (-36.8%) and Volkswagen (-31.5%) are hit the hardest below. Nissan (+8.4%) and Rover (+8%) both ignore the surrounding gloom at the tail end of the Top 10. Nissan (-26.8%) is back to the #1 LCV spot above Renault (-30.7%) and Citroen (-39.2%).

Renault 19

For its second full year of sales in Spain, the Opel Astra (-5.8%) shoots up 5 spots on 1992 to snap its very first (and as it would turn out, only) annual Spanish crown by just 0.1% of share over the Renault 19 (-29.6%) while the leader of the past two years, the Renault Clio (-35.1%) tumbles down to #3. The Seat Ibiza (+13.9%) swims upstream thanks to a new generation and gains 6 spots to #4, reclaiming the title of Seat’s best-seller at home off the Toledo (-43.2%) down 3 ranks to #8. The Opel Corsa (-3.7%) is also strengthened by a new generation and climbs 3 spots to #5 while the VW Golf (-19.1%) cracks the Top 10.

The Seat Ibiza is the only Top 10 nameplate in positive, up to #4.

The Ford Mondeo is the best-selling new launch at #11 followed by the Peugeot 306 at #17, the Citroen Xantia at #18 and the Renault Twingo at #25. The Hyundai Excel (+115.5%) is the first Korean model to break into the Spanish Top 50 at #44. The Renault Express (-30.8%) reclaims the LCV models crown off the Citroen C15 (-40.4%) while the Lada Niva (+34.3%) leaps up 5 spots to #4.

Full 1993 Top 50 All-brands, Top 240 All-models, Top 35 All LCV brands and Top 100 All LCV models vs. Full 1992 figures below.