EU September New Car Registrations Up 6.4% on Year - ACEA

   By Neetha Mahadevan 
 

FRANKFURT--The European auto industry continued its recovery in September, with new car registrations rising 6.4% on the year, as all major markets contributed to growth, particularly Spain.

New car registrations in the 27-nation bloc, a proxy for actual sales, rose to 1.24 million vehicles in September. Since the start of the year, registrations grew 6.1% to 9.57 million, according to the Association of European Automobile Manufacturers.

Among the markets, Spain shot 26% higher in September, while France grew 6.3% and the U.K. rose 5.6%. Germany, the EU's biggest car market, posted a 5.2% increase in the month, while registrations in Italy rose 3.3% for the same period.

The data show that European car sales continued to recover for the 13th month in a row after six years of steady decline.

Car makers across Europe and the U.S. reported strong sales, except BMW Group, which reported a 1% drop in registrations, and General Motors, which sold 5.9% fewer cars in Europe last month. Among the winners, Volkswagen grew 6.7% in September, while Renault sold 11% more cars, making it the fastest-growing European car maker in the month.

Write to Neetha Mahadevan at [e-mail]

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