New car sales creep ahead as plate swap month nears

New car sales across the UK grew by 3.3 per cent in August compared with the same month last year, according to new industry figures.

By The Newsroom

6th Sep 2016, 7:53am

Updated 6th Sep 2016, 10:24am

The Ford Fiesta is the UK's best-selling car. Picture: Ian Georgeson

Some 81,640 cars were registered last month, the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT) said, with Ford’s Fiesta retaining its position at the top of the sales chart.

Growth was driven by the fleet sector, which saw a 7.7 per cent rise. Private registrations fell by 0.2 per cent. Some 1.68 million cars have been registered in 2016 so far, up 2.8 per cent on the same period last year.

Cautious buyers apply brakes to new car sales

SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: “August is traditionally one of the quietest months as consumers look ahead to the September plate change, so growth, albeit small, is good news.”

Bosses said a decline of just over 3 per cent last month in Scotland was not as poor as had been feared. The figures north of the Border have been flagging the UK-wide result for some time now. September is said to be “looking strong” in Scotland with good deliveries made to date.

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