First quarter 2002 UK car sales of 722,718, up 2.1 percent on Q1 2001#;s 675,083, set a new record, according to the motor industry trade body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
UK sales of new cars in March reached 423,727, a 3.85 percent increase over March 2001#;s 408,024.
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The SMMT noted that the government#;s recent decision to introduce new number plates in both March and September, rather than once a year in August has helped boost Q1 sales.
“There are great deals available, prices continue to tumble and new cars go on rolling out of franchised dealer showrooms with satisfied customers at the wheel,” said SMMT chief executive Christopher Macgowan.
Coinciding with a Ricardo Consulting Engineers report today that predicts car makers will soon offer as many diesel engines as petrol, the SMMT data, also released today shows that diesel car sales rose 51.6 percent in Q1 2002 and for a 21.8 percent market share – the best result since the record 22.6 percent share in 1994.
March#;s top-selling car was again Ford#;s Focus followed by the Opel-built GM Vauxhall Corsa and Peugeot#;s evergreen 206.
“It is truly a buyer’s market out there,” said Alan Pulham, franchised dealer director of the UK#;s Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMI).
“Consumers are flocking to franchised dealers to take advantage of extremely competitive prices and high specification new models.
“A month ago we said the motor industry could well be heading for record sales in March, and that prediction has been borne out and we are now en-route for another record year.”
The growing number of new models entering the market should see consumer demand remain high for the remainder of the year, Pulham added.
