The war's effect also reached the automotive industry. After six months of an accelerated increase in deliveries compared to last year, a significant slowdown of 14% was recorded for the first time in July compared to July 2013. Last month, 18,466 new vehicles were delivered in Israel compared to over 21,000 in the corresponding month.
The decline stems from the reduction in orders from car rental companies due to the damage to tourism, the economic paralysis in the rocket-stricken south, and the damage to the logistical capacity of car importers, a significant portion of which is concentrated around Ashdod and the Ram Junction in the south.
On an annualized basis, the numbers are still positive: 153,977 new vehicles were delivered in January-July, an increase of 15.41%. However, the automotive industry estimates that most of the impact of Operation Protective Edge will be absorbed by the market in August's data.
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And another interesting point: In the first seven months of 2014, the market share of Turkish-made vehicles jumped to a 14.61% share of the total Israeli market, an increase of 41% and an unprecedented figure to date. In total, Turkish-made vehicles worth about NIS 1 billion before taxes have been purchased from Israel since the beginning of the year.
In terms of brands, Hyundai led, delivering 20,757 vehicles in January-July, a decrease of 71% compared to the same period last year. In second place was Toyota with 17,578 vehicles, an increase of 58%. In third place was Kia with 16,051 vehicles, an increase of 26%. In fourth place was Mazda with 11,399 deliveries, an increase of 57%. In fifth place was Skoda with 8,858 deliveries, an increase of 16.5%. In sixth place was Suzuki with 8,587 deliveries, an increase of 55.
