Foreign cars are flowing into Russia despite sanctions, and it’s creating a pretty wild market dynamic. Even with export bans in place from major makers like $VWAGY, $TM, and luxury brands, dealers and private imports are finding ways to bring in Europe-built rides through secondary channels. That means Russia’s used and grey-market car scene is getting supply, even if official OEM sales are locked out. For auto investors, this is a reminder that black-market flows and secondary demand can still move goods and influence pricing in surprising ways. It’s not a headline that’ll move the tape globally, but it does show how demand finds a way, especially for vehicles people actually want, even when official channels are closed.
Regional dynamics like this don’t just vanish. They can impact parts demand, service markets, and residual values in strange corners of the world when major brands aren’t directly present. So what do you think, is this just short-term workaround behavior, or a sign that used and grey imports can sustain demand even under heavy sanction pressure?