- March 2003 new car market up 3.4 per cent to 438,075 units
- Private registrations up 4.0 per cent, to boost their market share to 53.2 per cent
- Supermini registrations up 13.9 per cent, taking a record 34.3 per cent of the market
Commenting on March’s registration figures SMMT chief executive, Christopher Macgowan said, ‘The marked growth in private registrations shows continued consumer confidence in the new car market. March was another record month for registrations and has put the UK firmly on track to reach the 2.4 million units forecast for 2003’.
Notes to editors
1. New car registrations in the UK are expected to reach 2.4 million units in 2003, the third highest total on record. In 2002 registrations hit 2,563,631 units and 2,458,769 in 2001.
2. Since the bi-annual plate change was introduced, the March market has gone from 370,000 in 1999, 401,972 units in 2000, 408,024 units in 2001 and 423,727 units in 2002 to 438,075 units in 2003.
3. Private registrations for the first quarter of 2003 were 358,505 units. In the first quarter of 2002, 355,380 units were registered to private buyers and 337,564 units in 2001.
4. Diesel penetration is expected to reach 28 per cent of overall sales in 2003, or 672,000 units.
March 2003
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.
