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Car buyers can start planning their purchases next year. Let's just hope the loan rule still applies, just to dampen the demand a little. http://m.sgcarmart.com/articles/articleinfo.php?CT=n&AID=11131 With a maximum of about 52,000 cars, which can be deregistered between now and mid-2015, dealers are preparing for a big spike in Certificate of Entitlement (COE) supply within the next year, reported The Business Times. Deregistrations are the main component in determining each new COE quota and over the past four years, the number of cars scrapped has been low. This, and a lower allowable vehicle growth rate and COE clawbacks due to previous oversupply, have put a squeeze on COEs. As a result, the number of private passenger cars registered in 2013 was just 22,008 units, while only 27,000-plus new cars were put on the roads in each of the preceding two years. The director of a volume dealership quipped, "Compared to those lean years, 2015 will have at least 50 percent more car COEs, if not 75 percent more.'' The situation looks even rosier beyond that. According to the Land Transport Authority, from mid-2015 to mid-2016, a maximum of 107,000 cars are due for deregistration, or double the preceding period's figure. And this pool remains about the same size for the following 12-month period from mid-2016 to mid-2017. So it is no surprise that many distributors are ramping up operations. The Mitsubishi brand, for example, is returning to Cycle & Carriage's Alexandra Road showroom. Some brands are expanding their model lineup. For Opel and Chevrolet, distributor Alpine Motors is bringing in two new models each. The four cars will be Alpine's first new model launches in two years. But others may be more cautious about over-extending themselves. Over at Borneo Motors Singapore, the authorised Toyota distributor is said to be streamlining its Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI) operations and securing new facilities to handle the expected rise in sales. But it appears investment in other areas may take place only when the actual boom materialises.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) recently announced a 42 percent increase in Certificate of Entitlement (COE) quotas for the May - July period. How do you think COE prices will move in this quarter? http://www.sgcarmart.com/news/article.php?AID=10142