August marks eleven months of growth in new car market
- New car registrations rose 6.2 per cent in August to 77,246 units
- Total registrations are up 5.2 per cent so far in 2001, at 1,519,435 units
- August was the eleventh consecutive month of growth in the new car market
- September registrations are forecast to beat 400,000 units
Commenting on the figures, SMMT Chief Executive Christopher Macgowan said,
‘The August registration figures are more good news for both the industry and
the car buyer. Sales to private buyers are soaring as more and more people take
advantage of the excellent packages now on offer at their local dealer.’
Looking ahead he added, ‘We expect the sales boom to continue in September.
Total registrations will top 400,000 units and although demand is likely to
ease in the final quarter, 2001 may yet be a record year.’
Notes to editors
- The full year forecast for new car registrations now stands at 2.3 million
units. In 1989, registrations hit 2,300,944 units, the highest annual total
on record. - Sales to private buyers rose 12.5 per cent last month and were up 18.7 per
cent on the year to date. 731,159 units have been sold to private buyers so
far this year compared to 615,927 in the same period in 2000. - Fleet and business registrations also rose in August, by 2.1 per cent and
2.9 per cent respectively.
August 2001
The attached tables show the registration figures for Great Britain, Northern
Ireland, The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands in detail. Top performers by
range and UK penetration figures are also listed. Providing the SMMT is acknowledged
as the source of this information, the figures may be quoted. Substantial reproduction
needs specific approval by the SMMT.
