New car sales rise for 30th consecutive month

New car sales for August were up 9.4 per cent on the previous year, representing the 30th consecutive month of increase.

According to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), a total of 72,163 cars were registered for the month.

This latest rise pushes sales for the year-to-date past the 1.5 million mark, though the SMMT expects numbers to begin levelling off in the coming months.

August is typically one of the quietest months for new car registrations, making up just three per cent of the yearly market, while September’s numbers will be more telling as it represents 18 per cent of annual registrations. The SMMT has retained its forecast of 2.45 million cars to be sold for the year.

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Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said, “New car registrations reached two-and-a-half years of consecutive monthly growth in August, as confident private and fleet consumers continued to snap up enticing deals on a wealth of advanced new products.

“The UK’s performance in the context of Europe is particularly impressive, with growth consistently ahead of the rest of the EU for the past two years. As the UK market starts to find its natural level, we expect to see the growth level off during coming months.”

The Ford Fiesta was the top-selling car for the month once again to continue its dominance as the best selling car for the year-to-date. The Ford Focus came in second for August and the Vauxhall Corsa coming in third.

The SMMT has put the continued growth down to consumer confidence, but also the number of attractive finance offers available to private customers, particularly through manufacturer PCP schemes.