Sales of new cars up in the UK
With petrol prices hitting an all time high this spring, you’d be forgiven for thinking that our taste for cars would have taken something of a nose dive. Not so apparently with sales of new cars in the UK up 26.6% on last year.
According to The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), registrations of new cars in the UK passed the 397,383 mark this March - a 26.6% increase on the same month last year.
The government scrappage scheme which came to an end on 31st March is thought to have played a major part in boosting sales. This, coupled with the fact that March is traditionally a strong month for car sales as it sees the release of the new UK number plates.
Tough times ahead
Despite the positive sales figures in the first quarter of 2010, industry leaders anticipate a challenging year for the UK car industry as a whole with sales still well below those of 2008. Paul Everitt, Chief Executive of the SMMT offered the following words of caution:
“Although the UK motor industry has enjoyed a better-than-anticipated first quarter of 2010, the coming months will remain challenging and headline registration numbers are expected to dip.”