Car sales see further decline in August 2010
Car sales see further decline in August 2010
The number of new cars sold in August 2010 has seen a drop compared to the corresponding period of last year, reflecting challenging conditions in the motor trade sector.
New figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that registrations during the month fell to 55,305, down 17.5 per cent compared to August 2009, when demand was boosted by the scrappage scheme.
This represents the second consecutive month of decline for the sector after July 2010 car registrations demonstrated the first year-on-year drop in sales for 12 months.
The SMMT stated that this latest fall was anticipated given the imminent introduction of the new licence plate, as well as the slow performance of the market as a whole.
Paul Everitt, the SMMT's chief executive, said these conditions are likely to persist for the rest of the year, but pointed out that 2010 remains ahead of 2009 in terms of total sales volumes.
"The industry enjoyed a better than expected first half of the year and despite the difficulties, SMMT is forecasting that new car registrations will close just ahead of 2009 figures," he said.
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