For the first eight months of 2013, most major markets faced a downturn ranging from -3.6% in Spain to -6.6% in Germany, -9.0% in Italy and -9.8% in France.
European car sales dropped 5% in August as three of the big five markets – Germany, France and Italy – all posted losses. Only the U.K, with its own central bank and non-Euro currency showed growth at +10.9%, while Germany shrank by -5.5%, Italy by -6.6%, the France by -10.5% and the Spanish by -18.3%. Overall, there were 653,872 new car registrations in the month of August. The data belies the claims by auto executives at the Frankfurt show that the EU had reached bottom.
From January through August 2013, new car sales amounted to 7,841,596 units or 5.2% less than in the same period last year. This means that it was the lowest January to August level ever recorded since record keeping began in 1990, according to ACEA, the automakers trade association.
This means that for the first eight months of 2013, most major markets faced a downturn ranging from -3.6% in Spain to -6.6% in Germany, -9.0% in Italy and -9.8% in France. The UK was the only market to perform better than in the first eight months of 2012 (+10.44%).
