Figures just released by the SIMI () show that car sales were up 21 per cent for the month of October (2,042) compared with this month last year (1,692).
So far this year, 95,217 new cars have been sold, an increase of 30 per cent on 2013 (73,454). This is the first time in 5 years that new car sales have reached 95,000.
The top three selling car brands were Volkswagen, Toyota & Ford, with the top three selling models were the VW Golf, Nissan Qashqai & Ford Focus
Vantastic performance
The Commercial Vehicle market is even more positive, with light commercial/van sales up 51 per cent (15,900) this year in comparison to 2013 (10,555), with the month of October (1,370) recording a strong sales increase up 79 per cent compared with October last year (766). The top selling van was the Ford Transit
Meanwhile, the truck or Heavy Commercial Vehicle (HCV) registrations are also up 12 per cent for the month of October and 23 per cent year to date.
Alan Nolan, Director General SIMI commenting on these figures: “The positive registration figures for all sectors is a welcome sign of recovery for our Industry particularly the light commercial registrations indicate a more general recovery in the wider economy.
“While the new car sales figures are encouraging, we must remember that we are still starting from a very low base. For sustainability the new car registration market needs to be operating at an annual level of 130,000 however these figures are a sign of continued progress and that sales are currently moving in the right direction. He added: “The Industry has also seen improved business levels through commercial sales and the rise in car sales also reflects improved consumer confidence both demonstrating strong indicators of economic recovery.”
