Record first quarter as new car market marches on
- First quarter 2002 reaches 722,718 units – up 7.1 per cent on previous
best - March registrations up 3.85 per cent from 408,024 to 423,727 units
- Registrations of cars to private buyers rise 2.1 per cent to 223,989 units
SMMT chief executive Christopher Macgowan said, ‘There are great deals available,
prices continue to tumble and new cars go on rolling out of franchised dealer
showrooms with satisfied consumers at the wheel. Eighteen months of new car
market growth has been bettered only by 30 consecutive months of falling prices’.
He continued, ‘The current franchised dealer system works, and is endorsed
by the fact that consumers are flocking to showrooms across Britain, confident
in the service, products and deals available to them. Any drastic moves to change
this system will only erode this level of confidence and could reduce the current
high level of competition in the marketplace.’
Notes to editors
1. Previous first quarter results since the introduction of the twice-yearly
plate change were:
2001: 675,083
2000: 660,747
1999: 635,942
2. Diesel registrations soared 51.6 per cent in the first quarter to 157,408
units.
3. New car registrations in the UK are forecast to reach 2.35 million units
in 2002.
March 2002
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.
