Market grows again as October new car sales rocket
- October new car registrations rose 20.7 per cent to a record 185,325 units
- This is the fifth record month of 2001
- Registrations by private buyers soared 28.3 per cent to 91,510 units in
October - Fleet and business demand rose by 9.2 per cent and 49.5 per cent respectively
- Year-to-date, the new car market is up 10.1 per cent at 2,148,025 units
Commenting on the figures, SMMT chief executive Christopher Macgowan said,
‘While some analysts had predicted a slump, with claims that showroom traffic
had slowed to a trickle, the reality has proved to be quite the opposite. We
have seen huge market growth, once again led by private buyers.’
‘Consumers are confident. There’s no doubt about that. They know a good deal
when they see one and there are plenty of those at franchised dealers at the
moment. No one would suggest that 13 consecutive months of growth will last
forever. But equally we need to be careful not to talk down a very strong market
for new car sales. Be sure that 2001 will be a record year.’ he added
Notes to editors
- The revised year end forecast stands at 2.38 million units. In 1989, 2,300,944
units were registered, the highest annual total on record. - A total of 1,065,635 new cars have been registered by private buyers so
far this year. This represents a rise of more than 27 per cent or 190,566
units.
October 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.
