Colombian wholesale vehicle sales continued to climb last month, reaching a record high for the full year, according to data released Thursday by industry group Comite Automotor.
Vehicle sales for December totaled 25,556, a 38% increase on the year.
For 2010, vehicle sales reached 253,869, the most ever sold in a calendar year and a 37% jump from the 185,129 sold in Colombia in 2009.
The strong 2010 numbers come after 2009 saw vehicle sales retreat on the back of an economic slowdown. But the Colombian economy rebounded in 2010 and interest rates have been low for most of the year, which has encouraged families and businesses to make big purchases on credit.
Comite Automotor’s statistics cover more than 90% of the vehicles sold in Colombia, including buses, private vehicles, taxis and trucks. (Dan Molinski / Dow Jones Newswires)