August Car Registration Down 18 per cent in Europe

A day after the SMMT published the lowest UK new car registration figures for four decades, automotive industry analysts have revealed that most European countries are experiencing the same downturn.

According to Deutsche Bank car registrations across Europe were down -18 per cent in August, (down 6 per cent year-to-date). The analysts pointed out that the month of August usually represents the low point of the year for new car registrations, however France (the least affected) down 7 per cent; Germany down 10 per cent; Italy plummeting 26 per cent; and Spain missing the mark by 41 per cent, it is clear that registrations worsened. Deutsche Bank put the falls down to “eroding consumer sentiment and recessionary fears.”

Overall there has been a clear shift in car selection towards smaller cars across Europe, driven by emission regulations and higher fuel prices and lower. All this means there is likely to be an increased OE demand for smaller size tyres in the future.