New car sales in the United Kingdom smashed through the 2.5 million barrier to set a new record in 2002, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMTT).
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Sales increased by 4.3% over 2001 to 2,563,631 in 2002, worth an estimated £33.3 billion, the SMMT claimed.
New car registrations increased by 14.3% in December alone to a best ever 144,576 sales.
“Overall it was an incredible year. New car buyers have increasingly focused on smaller cars and a new generation of greener diesel models, taking advantage of cheaper motoring costs as well as tax breaks for lower carbon dioxide emissions. These trends we fully expect to continue into 2003,” an SMMT statement said.
The SMMT figures show that the Ford Focus was the UK’s top selling new car for the fourth year in a row, with sales of 151,209, more than 40% ahead of the second-placed GM Vauxhall (Opel) Corsa (105,199).
The SMMT said that almost one in three new cars last year was a small model, while sales of diesel vehicles were up by 38%.
Almost a million more new cars were sold last year than a decade ago. Sales of large car fleets for companies increased last year by 5.7% while sales to private buyers rose by 2%.
The UK 2003 Top 10
1. Ford Focus – 151,209
2. Vauxhall Corsa – 105,199
3. Vauxhall Astra – 102,107
4. Peugeot 206 – 96,938
5. Ford Fiesta – 93,591
6. Renault Clio -86,337
7. Volkswagen Golf – 72,362
8. Ford Mondeo – 72,016
9. Renault Megane – 69,530
10. Ford Ka – 62,863
