Car sales in Western Europe fell by 6.1% in June, according to data released by LMC Automotive.
LMC said the June result was similar to May: the month’s year-on-year results generally remain negative while the Seasonally Adjusted Annualised Rate of Sales (SAAR) appears to be more solid.
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The SAAR for June was 11.7m units a year, comfortably the best result so far this year. The full year forecast is still that of a fall though, 3-4% down on 2012.
The German car market was down by 4.7% with the year-to-date market off by 8.1%. LMC said that Germany has been proving one of the more disappointing markets in recent months and a 3m result for the year “looks increasingly difficult to attain”. A factor in Germany is that potential buyers are holding off until after the September elections.
The VDA has recently revised its forecast for the German car market this year to under 3m units.
France, Italy and Spain were all lower in June, though the selling rates look a little stronger than in previous months. The UK remains a bright spot in the region, as private sales continue to expand rapidly, up by over a fifth in June. Low interest rates, strong incentives and windfalls from PPI claims have helped fuel the private side of the market, LMC noted.
See also: ANALYSIS: ‘Flat is the new up’ for Western Europe
For the year, LMC forecasts a West European car market of 11.36m units, some 3.5% down on 2012’s total.
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