Commercial vehicle registrations fell by 15.9 per cent in November to 22,860 units; year-to-date figures were down 5 per cent to 265,959. Truck registrations declined by 13.7 per cent to 3,885 units in the month, but the rolling year figure is up 12.6 per cent to 46,734 units.
UK new car registrations rose 11.3 per cent to 149,191 units in November, on the back of increased private demand. The UK new car market has grown 5.4 per cent to 1,921,052 units during the January-November period, putting the full year market on track to be the best since 2008.
More than 20 high-profile banks, financial support services, and venture capitalists have signed-up to attend SMMT's 'Meet the Funder' event later this month, keen to enhance their understanding of the UK's automotive supply chain and boost funding in the sector.
Total bus and coach registrations fell 23.9 per cent to 486 units in October, but climbed 44.9 per cent over the year-to-date. The purpose-built bus and coach market declined 35.3 per cent in the month, but rose 16.1 per cent during January-September. Converted bus registrations dipped 8.5 per cent in October, but rose 84.6 per cent during the first 10 months of 2012.
A row has broken out between Halfords Autocentres and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) over advertising relating to the cost of car servicing at franchised dealerships. The SMMT complained to Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) about an advertisement at halfordsautocentres.com which highlighted apparent savings of up to 50 per cent on car servicing. The complaint was subsequently upheld by ASA who said the ad could not continue in the offending form.
The SMMT figures for commercial vehicle registrations in October paint a gloomy picture, with year-on-year CV sales down 8.1 per cent to 21,661 units; the rolling year figure is also down 0.9% to 293,312.
Truck registrations dipped to 3,867 units, down 8.1 per cent in the month, but the rolling year figure is up 16.3 per cent to 47,352.
New car sales figures from the SMMT show month on month sales were up 12.1 per cent compared to October last year. Fleet registrations increased by 4.5 per cent last month whilst private registrations increased by 23.9 per cent. Alternative Fuel Vehicles (AFVs) saw sales increase by a huge 38.8 per cent.
Commenting on the figures, Sue Robinson, Director of the RMI National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) which represents franchised car and commercial vehicle retailers across the UK, said: "Retail car sales continue to drive the market in October whilst fleet sales remain flat."
SMMT figures show that commercial vehicle sales in September rose slightly – the 43,787 sales represented a rise of 0.8 per cent. Van registrations for the month were 39,060; up 1.1 per cent, but truck sales were down 1.5 per cent to 4,727 units.
"The increase in retail car sales in September exceeded expectations" said Sue Robinson, Director of the RMI National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) which represents franchised car and commercial vehicle retailers across the UK, commenting on the SMMT's new car registration figures.
"It is encouraging that the new car market remained stable in what is traditionally a low volume months for car sales" said Sue Robinson, Director of the RMI National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) which represents franchised car and commercial vehicle retailers across the UK, commenting on the SMMT’s new car registration figures.
Figures from the SMMT show the overall bus and coach market fell in August for the first time in 2012, dropping 27.8 per cent to 311 registrations for the month, but the market showed a rise of 54.4 per cent from January-August. The purpose-built bus and coach sector declined 57.9 per cent in the month, but was up 28.7 per cent over the year-to-date. Converted bus registrations grew 127.1 per cent in August and 89.9 per cent during the first eight months of the year.
MG Motor UK is doubling the size of the design centre. According to the company, the latest stage of the rebirth of Longbridge will see substantial investments in the design studio, the engine test centre and the factory. Meanwhile, the firm is recruiting new engineers and designers to work on the next generation of MG cars as the firm prepares to hit the export trail to mainland Europe within two years.
New '62-plate' vehicles will arrive in dealerships during the next few weeks as the automotive sector prepares for one of its busiest times of the year. Industry body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) expects around 330,000 new cars to be registered during September, with motorists spending in the region of £4.95 billion on the latest new vehicles.
Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show that coach and bus registrations for July were up – the 10th consecutive month in which the figures rose.
The UK commercial vehicle market for July proved extremely buoyant, with new registrations up 8.1 per cent over July 2011, reaching 22,353. Van registrations rose 10.2 per cent to 18,913 units in July, and the rolling year figure was stable (-0.1 per cent), with 248,452 registrations.
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