Czech car production down by 11 percent year-on-year in first half of 2009

Car production fell in the Czech Republic by 11 percent in the first half of 2009, according to industry figures released on Monday. The reason given for the decrease was the current global financial crisis. According to the Czech Carmakers’ Association, the fall would have been much sharper if it weren’t for the scrap incentives introduced in neighbouring Germany and Slovakia, encouraging car owners to trade in their old vehicle for a newer model. The Czech Republic’s biggest car producer, Škoda Auto, made just under 246,000 cars in the first half of this year, which constituted a 30 percent decrease year-on-year. The TPCA car factory in Kolín, however, recorded an increase in production by 0.6 percent to nearly 175,000 cars over the same period.