The August new car market in the UK grew 10.9% to 65,937 units.
Only about 3% of annual registrations occur in August ahead of September’s plate change (’63’ this year), which typically accounts for around 17% of full year registrations.
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The fifth successive month of double-digit growth pushed the year to date market up 10.4% to 1,391,788 units.
“UK new car registrations have now risen consecutively for a year and a half. Private and fleet buyers are clearly capitalising on attractive deals and new technologies against a backdrop of increasing economic confidence,” said Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive.
“Ahead of the September plate change, August always has far fewer registrations, but the 10.9% rise this month bodes well for the new 63-plate.”
Registrations have grown in every month in 2013 by an average of 10%.
The 13 plate, covering March-August registrations, was the best in volume terms since the recession and the 08 plate and was up 10.4% on a year ago at 1.18m units.
August only accounted for 2.9% of the 2012 full year market and was the second smallest market of the year, after February. Both months are ahead of the change in number plate.
September is typically the second largest month of the year, after March, and in 2012 accounted for 17.6% of the annual market.
Registrations of the new 63-plate in September are expected to exceed 2012′s 359,612 total by more than 7%.
