Gasgoo.com (Shanghai February 21) - 52,300 new vehicles were purchased in Beijing in January, the Beijing Morning Post reported today, quoting statistics from the Beijing Yayuncun Car Market. That was nearly double the amount sold in January 2011, and represents 7.84 percent growth from the previous month. The sales growth rate in Beijing is 26 percent higher than the national average.

Meanwhile, 47,300 used vehicles changed hands in the capital in the month. Although the amount represents a drop of 16 percent drop from December, it is still over six times higher than that from last January. Used car sales during the month were nearly equal to sales of new cars. 4,900 imported vehicles were sold, 4.26 percent and 86.67 percent higher than the amounts from December and January 2011, respectively.

However, the traditional Chinese cycle of the market virtually shutting down for the Spring Festival holiday was still in effect this year. According to Beijing Yayuncun Car Market Deputy General Manager Yan Jinghui, 72 percent of Chinese automobile sales in January occurred in the first 15 days of the month. Mr. Yan partially attributes this to various promotional activities put out by manufacturers to rush sales before the Spring Festival.

With dealerships and logistics companies resuming operation in February, as well as manufacturers introducing several new models later in the month, automobile sales across the country are expected to recover in March. When asked for his predictions for February, Mr. Yan answered that sales will still be higher than last year, but may be lower than January.

In other news, the newly implemented Vehicle and Vessel Tax Law is beginning to show its influence, with vehicles with engines measuring 2.0 L and smaller accounting for 59 percent of all new automobile sales in the month, compared to 51 percent in last January. They constituted 78.1 percent of all domestically manufactured vehicles sold during the month.