SAO PAULO, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Brazilian car rental company Localiza Rent a Car SA should speed up the sale of its used cars from the second half of the year after curbing its semi-new business at the end of 2021, which affected its quarterly results.

The company reported late on Tuesday that its sales of used cars fell 51% in the fourth quarter over a year earlier, with automakers having trouble to deliver new vehicles amid shortages of electronic components and other auto parts.

Shares in Localiza were down 4.8% in mid-afternoon trading, while the broader Bovespa index were dropped 0.2%.

According to Localiza's Chief Financial Officer Rodrigo Tavares de Sousa, the drop in sales of used cars was due to the strategy of making the car rental and fleet management business a priority, but this may be reversed in the coming months.

"This year we have signed contracts that allow much higher volumes of new vehicles than last year," he said in a conference call with analysts, adding that from the second half of the year the company will see an improvement in the number of new cars delivery.

Regarding the business tie-up with Unidas SA, approved by Brazilian antitrust watchdog Cade in December, Sousa said that negotiations for the sale of about 50,000 cars and other assets of the acquired company are moving at a fast pace.

"We have an excellent number of interested parties. We are evaluating several of them," said the executive. (Reporting by Alberto Alerigi Jr.; Writing by Peter Frontini; Editing by Sandra Maler)