ENTHUSIAST INTEREST IN TURBOS AND SUPERCHARGERS ON BOOST IN JUNE, JULY

After a mid-year low in mid-May to mid-June, online auction sales of turbos and superchargers climbed back up mid-June through mid-August. Enthusiasts spent $1,478,853 on forced induction parts in the period May 20-June 18, a yearly low, but increased that spending to $1,527,658 the following month, and $1,584,978 a month after that.

The bulk of those sales were in turbochargers and parts; superchargers accounted for just 2.4% of sales in the period July 19-August 17, and 2.9% the month prior, according to data from Terapeak, a developer of market-focused research software that monitors online sales and auctions. Nitrous was also only a fraction of overall sales, accounting for just 0.7% in July-August and 0.9% in June-July.

Sales still have a way to go to match those of the first quarter, when enthusiasts spent $5.7 million on forced induction components. Mid-February to mid-March was the banner month, logging just over $2 million in sales. The second quarter cooled by about 11%, but started its climb in mid-June and has been on the rise since.

How prevalent is Internet purchasing among specialty-equipment enthusiasts?

"The past two years, SEMA research has shown that the highest percentage of automotive enthusiasts indicate they purchased their performance parts and accessories over the Internet," says SEMA research analyst Ty Michael.

"Interestingly, roughly the same percentage of enthusiasts indicated that they purchased their parts at traditional brick and mortar shops. Thirty-nine percent of enthusiasts said they purchased on the Internet, compared to 31% who indicated they went to a physical location to make their purchases."

Terapeak's Motors P&A Research provides sellers with access to comprehensive research on the past year of online auction data and allows users to get in-depth research reports on the competition and themselves. More at www.terapeak.com/motors.