The German car maker Opel, which was rocked this year by industrial uncertainty, said on Dec. 29 that its German sales gained 31% in 2009 owing to a government cash-for-clunkers scrapping bonus.
Opel said the sale of 339,000 vehicles was its best result since 2005 and gave it a domestic market share of 8.9%.
While its parent company General Motors weighed selling the loss-making division, Opel benefitted from state aid worth 2,500 euros for drivers who junked their old cars and bought new ones.
The scheme was a boost in particular to manufacturers of inexpensive autos.
For 2010, many car makers have forecast slumping sales however as variants of the car scrapping plan implemented worldwide are wound down.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2009
