northpoint cars

Pandemic car sales bonanza By Erwin Chlanda By ERWIN CHLANDA After 45 years of selling cars, partly in Alice Springs including the past seven year, Stephen Rogers (at right) thought he’d seen it all: The start of 2020 was looking not too bad, fitting into the pattern of the industry’s minor ups and downs, February and March usually being quiet. Then COVID-19 struck and disaster seemed inevitable. The opposite was the case: The Federal Government’s string of economic rescue initiatives, starting in April with early releases of superannuation savings, opened a money flood that saw car yards on the North Stuart Highway filling and emptying several times over. No sooner a load of used cars arrives in town they are snapped up, says Mr Rogers. Some people form bush communities are buying two at a time, says another dealer. Unsurprisingly a $6000 car now costs $8000, a result partly of drops in new car purchases in South Australi…