The French car market was flat in May (+0.1%) according to data released by the CCFA.
The disappointing May result follows a 5.8% year-on-year gain for France’s car market in April and highlights the fragility of the recovery to car sales in Western Europe’s depressed car market.
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The CCFA said that French new registrations in May totalled 148,573 units and that working days in the month were equal with last year.
In the first five months of the year, the French car market totalled 762,141 units, up 3% on the same period last year.
May was, however, a relatively good month for domestic brands in the French car market, collectively up 6% to 80,699 units (for a 62.4% share of the car market). Renault group car sales rose 9% in May, including a 10.8% rise for the Dacia brand. PSA Peugeot Citroen posted a 3.9% gain on last year.
LMC Automotive forecasts a flat car market for France in 2014. “Although the start to the year in France does not look too bad, the comparison is against a very weak base last year,” says LMC analyst Jonathon Poskitt. “Underlying car demand in France is being constrained as France continues to face weak prospects for economic growth and job creation.”
