Vauxhall owner Opel has confirmed it will cut hours at two German plants after seeing lower demand for vehicles in the aftermath of the Brexit vote.
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About 5,000 employees producing the Insignia and Corsa models would be affected, the company added.
“We can not confirm the exact number of days” that will be cut, the spokesman said.
Opel, sold as Vauxhall in Britain, is slashing production at two of its plants in Germany because nobody in the UK-its biggest market-has any money after that damn Brexit vote, The Financial Times reports.
‘There will be an impact on our European financial performance if the pound remains at its current level for the rest of the year’.
The Vauxhall Corsa is the nation’s second-most popular auto after the Ford Fiesta. “It was a straightforward rise – the dealer margin is a percentage of list price”, said a spokesman.
The decision to leave was followed by a fall in the pound, making imported vehicles more expensive and giving United Kingdom exporters a boost. Its post-Brexit fall has reversed this, with concerns expressed at the stability of consumer confidence.
The Astra, and the Opel Sports Tourer, both built at Ellesmere Port, source their engines from factories in continental Europe.
General Motors also got a factory in Luton, England where the Vivaro van is created.
Society of Motor Manufacturer and Trader figures show Corsa sales down 12% in July year-to-date compared to the same period in 2015. Total Vauxhall sales were down 4%.
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The Vauxhall Corsa is Britain’s second most popular vehicle after the Ford Fiesta and the three-door model, which accounts for half of those sales, is made in the Eisenach factory. Total sales were down 4.5%.
