Car dealers were counting the cash yesterday after the UK recorded its biggest month of new vehicle sales in TEN YEARS.
More than 425,000 motors were registered in September – the 31st consecutive month of growth in the market.
It was up 5.6 per cent on last September and the highest month since 2004, according to the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
September is traditionally the biggest month of the year because of the biannual plate change.
And the Ford Fiesta was the runaway top seller, with 23,266 registered – almost 10,000 more than the Ford Focus which was second on the list.
Volkswagen’s Golf was the third biggest seller (13,011) with the Vauxhall Corsa (12,506) and Volkswagen Polo (10,312) making up the top five.
?Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, yesterday (Mon) said the strong performance “underlined the continuing robustness of the UK new car market”.
He added: “Demand for the new 64-plate has been boosted by intensifying confidence in the UK economy, with consumers attracted by a wide range of exciting, increasingly fuel-efficient, new cars.
“In the months since March – which saw an 18 per cent jump in registrations – the growth has shown signs of levelling off as the market starts to find its natural running rate.”
Overall registrations for 2014 have hit 1.95 million, which is a 9.1 per cent increase on the same period last year.
The Fiesta has now topped 100,000 sales for the year – selling 40,000 more than the Focus.
More motorists are looking at buying hybrid and electric cars such as the Toyota Prius and Tesla Model S.
Just under 10,000 ‘alternative fuel vehicles’ were registered last month, a 55.9 per cent increase on September 2013.
AFVs now make up 2.3 per cent of sales, with petrol accounting for 49.7 per cent and diesels making up 47.9 per cent.
September’s top ten:
1 Ford Fiesta – 23,266
2 Ford Focus – 13,508
3 Volkswagen Golf – 13,011
4 Vauxhall Corsa – 12,506
5 Volkswagen Polo – 10,312
6 Fiat 500 – 9,122
7 Vauxhall Astra – 8,861
8 Audi A3 – 7,317
9 Peugeot 208 – 6,968
10 Nissan Qashqai – 6,847
Top ten for 2014
1 Ford Fiesta – 106,930
2 Ford Focus – 67,015
3 Vauxhall Corsa – 62,693
4 Volkswagen Golf – 58,664
5 Vauxhall Astra – 47,482
6 Nissan Qashqai – 38,920
7 Volkswagen Polo – 36,772
8 Audi A3 – 35,596
9 Fiat 500 – 35,032
10 BMW 3 Series -29,655
