FRANKFURT — European auto manufacturers have so far defied expectations that supply chain chaos would bring their assembly lines to a standstill.

Even after northern Italy, an important node in the global parts network, went into lockdown on Sunday, carmakers like BMW, Daimler, Fiat, Peugeot and Volkswagen said on Monday that production was normal.

How long that can continue is an open question as the coronavirus disrupts daily life and economic activity in new and unpredictable ways. Carmakers are watching events with palpable anxiety.

But it appears for now that the automakers’ biggest problem is not whether they can build cars but whether they can sell them.