Italy, which is several weeks ahead of the UK in Covid-19’s infection and lockdown curve, took its first really massive blow to powered two-wheeler sales in March. BDN financial editor Roger Willis reports.
According to statistics from Italian industry association ANCMA, monthly over-50cc scooter and motorcycle registrations plummeted by 66.1% to 8519 units. Mopeds recorded a 62.6% dive to just 529.
Prior to that, the Italian PTW market had been shaping up for another year of strong growth. Over-50cc numbers in January and February had respectively risen by 7.8% and 18.2%. Mopeds boasted 49.9% and then 53.6% improvements.
For the first quarter of 2020, ANCMA says total PTW registrations in Italy stood at 45,316, a 22.7% decline. Motorcycles were 27.6% down to 19,529 and scooters sank by 22% to 21,795. Mopeds actually remained positive by 8% at 3992. But now under complete lockdown in parallel with the UK during April, there will probably be nothing worth counting at all in Q2.Â