The Automotive Quarterly report for April 2018 shows a strong increase in most observed indices, with the Europe 600 Autoindex up 16.7% over the previous year and beating the two-year Europe 600 index by two percentage points. The global indices are also up, but the Global 3000 Autoindex remains 11% behind the overall index. Both indices are expected to grow significantly in the coming year. In terms of sales, there are two clear trends: German manufacturers are selling more, while international manufacturers are selling less than a year ago. The two American companies, Ford and GM, are the most affected, with GM's Opel sales accounting for a large part of the sales decline. However, both numbers are seen as signs of a new strategy in Detroit: Margins instead of sales growth is the slogan. Toyota and Hyundai-KIA are also selling less, as the American market is weak, but the Koreans are also experiencing a significant decline in sales in China (-24.9%).
