OREANDA-NEWS. May 14, 2010. SOLLERS has reported a rise in “cash for clunkers” sales. More than 6,200 potential buyers contacted UAZ, FIAT and SsangYong dealerships in the first month alone of the program, which kicked off on 8 March 2010. The dealerships issued 1,571 certificates.

UAZ dealerships got the most business with over 3,400 calls, having issued 1006 certificates in the program’s first month. The additional buyer incentives recently launched in the Ulianovsk Region had much to do with this. UAZ OAO and the regional government now offer an extra RUR70,000 off on UAZ cars for locals in the city and region of Ulianovsk, so the starting price for UAZ vehicles is now down RUR120,000 from when the program was first launched.

FIAT dealerships received over 2,500 prospective buyer calls in March and the beginning of April. Demand is heating up for the Italian car make in Tatarstan, where the government joined SOLLERS to offer an extra RUR40,000 off on the FIAT Albea sedan and FIAT Doblo Panorama station wagon and RUR100,000 off on FIAT Ducato LCVs for the residents of Tatarstan. With all discounts combined, automobiles are now offered at as much as RUR90,000 off, and commercial vehicles, at RUR150,000 off. FIAT dealerships have written 528 certificates so far nationwide.

Those who wished to trade in their “clunkers” for a SsangYong jeep contacted the Korean make’s dealerships more than 300 times. SsangYong wrote 37 certificates.

The government-sponsored “cash for clunkers” program kicked off on 8 March 2010 and will be running until 1 November. Car owners are offered to trade in their pre-1999 cars to get RUR50,000 off any new car from a list drawn up by the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade. To qualify for the program, the owner is required to have owned his old car for at least 12 months before turning it in for recycling.

SOLLERS CEO Vadim Shvetsov believes that the program’s first months have proved it to be a complete success. “As Russia’s automotive industry struggles to minimize the fallout and loss from the crisis, it is a great idea for the government to intervene in order to incentivize more sales for the benefit of manufacturers and buyers alike,” he said. “Now we can see that Russia’s automotive market is beginning to recover from the downturn, and may be headed for a new high by any international standards.”