Confident consumers fuel record growth of new car registrations
Confident UK consumers bought 76,958 new cars in February, 12 per cent more than in February last year.
The figures released yesterday by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that February was the 36th consecutive month of growth in new car purchases.
“Three years of continuous growth in the new car market is remarkable and reflects the strong upturn in the confidence of UK car buyers since the recession,” said SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes.
The UK car market’s sustained expansion is the longest ever seen, beating the previous record of 26 months set in the late 1980s.
“Registrations of fleet and business cars have outpaced the private market in February, reflecting the increased business confidence across the UK,” Hawes said. “Over the course of 2015, however, we are expecting a more stable market to emerge given there has already been an extended period of consistent growth.”