Big brands, older autos
When asked about which car brands they know best, five out of six Poles mentioned Fiat, while more than half of those surveyed pointed to Opel.
Contrary to popular belief, such ubiquitous brands as Skoda, Volkswagen or Polonez are not as well recognized as the exclusive Mercedes, which illustrates the strength of the brand's image on the Polish market. According to the survey, more than half of Polish households own a car, but only seven percent can afford two or more.
The survey also revealed that cars in Poland are getting older. Most cars are aged four to 11 years, and the average Polish car has 10 years under its belt. Cars produced between 1993 and 2000 constitute half of all cars owned by Poles, and those that are more than 11 years old, make up 40 percent. More than 20 percent of cars are over 15, whereas cars that were produced after the year 2000 are only one-tenth of all vehicles.
That trend may be easing, however, as the most recent survey by the Samar car market research group shows that the number of used cars imported to Poland dropped in January. Last month 58,066 secondhand cars were driven into Poland, which is 49.29 percent less than in December 2004.
Contrary to popular belief, such ubiquitous brands as Skoda, Volkswagen or Polonez are not as well recognized as the exclusive Mercedes, which illustrates the strength of the brand's image on the Polish market. According to the survey, more than half of Polish households own a car, but only seven percent can afford two or more.
The survey also revealed that cars in Poland are getting older. Most cars are aged four to 11 years, and the average Polish car has 10 years under its belt. Cars produced between 1993 and 2000 constitute half of all cars owned by Poles, and those that are more than 11 years old, make up 40 percent. More than 20 percent of cars are over 15, whereas cars that were produced after the year 2000 are only one-tenth of all vehicles.
That trend may be easing, however, as the most recent survey by the Samar car market research group shows that the number of used cars imported to Poland dropped in January. Last month 58,066 secondhand cars were driven into Poland, which is 49.29 percent less than in December 2004.
