7.1 per cent fall in EU car registrations

ACEA, the European Automoblie Manufacturers' Association, has published figures showing that, in January, demand for new cars dropped by 7.1 per cent in the EU, compared to the same month a year earlier. In total, 968,769 new registrations were recorded in the region, with on average one more working day than in January 2011. These figures exclude Malta, for which data was unavailable.

Registrations varied per market: France (-20.7 per cent) and Italy (-16.9 per cent) recorded a double-digit downturn, while Spain posted a 2.5 per cent growth. The German (-0.4 per cent) and British (0.0 per cent) markets remained stable. The biggest contraction was noted in Portugal (-47.4 per cent) and the largest increase in Romania (+86.4 per cent). 

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