UK car sales rise 5.6%
UK car sales continued to accelerate last month, with the industry recording its best September in a decade
London: British new car registrations had their strongest September in 10 years, boosted by confidence in the economic recovery, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said on Monday.
Bright spot
The UK has been one of the few bright spots for global carmakers in Europe. Continent-wide sales still lie 20 per cent off 2007 levels.
Registrations for the first nine months of the year are now at almost 2m, up 9 per cent on the first three quarters of last year, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, the industry body.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said September's performance was particularly strong given the context of "bumper" volumes in the same month last year.
September is one of the most important months for the industry as it sees the release of new registration plates and tests consumer appetite for the latest vehicles.
September and March - when the first yearly plate change comes in - together account for a third of annual registrations.
