New car registrations increased 10.3% in May to 1.35m vehicles, according to preliminary data released by the German automotive industry association, the VDA, reported by Reuters.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
The VDA noted in a statement that some of the growth can be attributed to the fact that there were two more working days in some countries in May this year, compared to a year earlier. Also, Italy recorded a big rise in registrations in May, up nearly 50%, but this is because transport strikes delayed new car deliveries in May 2005.
Taking the first five months of the year together, European car registrations were up 2.6% to 6.52m vehicles, according to the VDA.
Registrations in France fell in May, by just over 3%, which the VDA attributed to the fact that in France there was one fewer working day in May this year, compared to a year earlier. The association also said that demand for domestic brands was weak and that this had an impact on overall sales volumes.
While registrations in Germany were up 8.7% in May, in Spain car sales were virtually flat, recording a gain of just 0.6%.
The European automotive industry association, ACEA, is due to report final May figures on Thursday.
