July sees fall in new car sales

New cars sales fell in July 2010 - the first decline for 12 months
12 April 2012

New car sales fell in July 2010 - the first decline for 12 months, it has been announced.

A total of 136,446 new cars were registered last month - a 13.2% drop on the July 2009 figure, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said.

The decline was partly a result of the ending of the car scrappage scheme - an initiative which boosted sales in the second half of 2009.

Despite the July fall, the SMMT said it expected year-end sales to reach just under 2.02 million - a 1.2% rise on the 2009 total.

Sales for the year so far - January to July - totalled 1.24 million - a 15.1% rise on the recession-hit first seven months of last year.

SMMT chief executive Paul Everitt said: "A drop in private registrations compared to the scrappage-fuelled months of 2009 was expected and has brought the first market decline for 12 months.

"Subdued consumer confidence and a still fragile economic recovery make the outlook for the remainder of 2010 challenging, but a stronger than expected first half means full-year volumes are still forecast to exceed 2009's total."

Diesel-fuelled cars took a record 50.6% share of the market last month, while sales of alternatively fuelled vehicles rose 52.6% - giving this segment a 1.4% market share.

The three best-selling models in July 2010 were the Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Astra and Vauxhall Corsa.

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