The Society of the Irish Motor Industry has asked the Irish government to implement a new car registration system for next year, fearing that superstition against the number ‘13’ would hurt sales in 2013.
The government listened.
Instead of bearing the number ‘13,’ cars registered during the first half of next year will read ‘131,’ while the cars registered in the second half of the year are assigned ‘132,’ the Irish Independent reported.
A bi-annual registration system is also used in Britain, where proponents say it more accurately indicates when a car was made and where it was registered.
In Ireland, seventy percent of new cars are purchased between January and April, which causes cash flow problems for dealers in the second half of the year, according to the Independent.
The SIMI hopes summer registration will encourage more people to buy midway through the year.
SIMI director Alan Nolan predicted that superstition about the number 13 could seriously hurt car sales in 2013, with purchasers holding off for fear of unlucky accidents, the Irish Independent reported.
2 Comments
-
-
Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.bogsidebunny | Sep 02, 2012, 08:51 AM EDT
Another moronic scheme to 1) pander to the car dealers on the insane idea people will avoid an "unlucky" number. 2) A country which touts itself as being a superior, 1st world nation has such a number of people who will avoid making a major purchase just because of a 2 digit number. It's insane and the only winners will be the Government who will reap the 23&1/2 VAT (sales tax) on the registration plates that the dealer's must buy. Of course that cost will be passed on to the buyers.
JimmieM | Aug 27, 2012, 11:02 AM EDT
As good a reason as any governments love to change things because it costs money and governments love to spend money I expect this will cost less that most other things they will change