Car sales fall at steepest rate since 1990s

Sales of cars dropped last month as the number of new cars sold in the UK in March fell by 44 per cent compared with last year.
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Sales of cars on the Fylde coast dropped last month as the number of new cars sold in the UK in March fell by 44 per cent compared with last year.

Industry figures show some 203,000 fewer new cars were registered in March than during the same month in 2019, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

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The performance, affected by dealerships closing due to the Covid-19 crisis, represents a steeper fall than during the 2009 financial crisis and is the worst March since 1999.

Sales of Vauxhall models dropped 69 per centSales of Vauxhall models dropped 69 per cent
Sales of Vauxhall models dropped 69 per cent

Vauxhall saw the biggest drop with sales down 69 per cent. Ford, the UK’s market leader, saw a 53 per cent fall.

Mike Hawes, CEO of SMMT said: “It could have been worse had the significant advanced orders placed for the new 2020 plate not been delivered in the early part of the month.”

Bucking the trend, sales of MG cars increased to 2,736 from 1,814 in March last year while Porsche’s volume rose 13 percent to 1,838 vehicles.

Electric car sales also rose almost three times compared with 2019 to 11,694 vehicles.