Harlequin Hire Cars acts as agents for all the major car hire firms in the island and supervisor Chris Wright said that the company has been able to get only 200 cars to rent out this year.
‘Companies like Vauxhall and Ford just haven’t built any,’ he said.
The problem has stemmed from a shortage of computer chips which has affected new car sales across the British Isles. It was reported that in June the sale of new cars dropped by almost a quarter.
Buyers have had to wait months for them to be supplied and that in turn led to a run on second-hand vehicles, pushing the prices up.
But it has also led to frustration for visitors looking to rent cars for their stay in Guernsey.
Medium-sized vehicles, like Ford Fiestas, are the mainstays of the local hire car trade and bookings for this month are virtually full, said Mr Wright.
‘We have a couple of gaps here and there but until the end of August we’re chock-a-block.
‘It’s good for business, but we’d like to have some more.’
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